Butterflies and Hurricanes
by HeartThea22
Summary: Two years after Azazel's destruction, Zafina fears of another turmoil approaching. Wanting to save her people, she's determent to use her powers in order to protect them. Will she succeed or other people are going to meddle with her plans? Is someone on her side or is she going to face this all alone? (It might turn into M rated in the future)
1. Chapter 1

**Two years after Azazel's destruction, Zafina fears of another turmoil approaching. Wanting to save her people, she's determent to use her powers in order to protect them. Will she succeed or other people are going to meddle with her plans? Is someone on her side or is she going to face this all alone?**

I titled my story after the song "Butterflies and Hurricanes" of my favorite band (Muse), because I believe that it fits with the story well.

 **IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything. Everything belongs to Namco. I do not own the song, as well.

 **My apologies for both possible grammar and spelling mistakes.** **English is not my native language.**

 **I have a simple request.** **Please be kind with either positive or negative reviews.**

 **Thanks in advance!**

 **CHAPTER 1 (Prologue)**

 **Somewhere in the Middle East...**

The night sky upon this village of the Middle East was full of stars. Every night, women and men would light up a big fire and start dancing below them and around the fire. It was something like a feast to them for providing them with such beautiful scenery and because most of the times their fates depended on them according to their history's legends. Moreover, the villagers were praying to them to help them rebuild once again the abandoned land they left behind two years ago due to the war, which was spread all around the world, because they wanted to protect themselves and their families. But, here, they were back again. Being rid of the war and its catastrophes, they were ready for a new start...

They were hard working people and the new world, which was rising ahead of them, was giving them courage to continue their hard work. There weren't rich or poor people between them. Everyone was equal and they were working for the whole village's sake. Everyone in the way he or she was able. Some of them were hunters, others were builders and a small amount of them were chosen to protect their sacred tombs. These people were trained in assassination arts and were taught all the history of each one of the tombs or the places they had to protect. However, with protecting the tombs, they were protecting their fellow villagers. It was their duty...

One of them was, also, her...

She was a very smart woman...Interested in all of these legends hidden behind riddles inside the ancient tombs. She was taught all about them long ago from her predecessors, who some of them were protectors as well. However, what was making her special was something she inherited from her mother. She had the power to read the stars and their meanings. In her public life, she was using this power as an astrologist. But that wasn't it...The real thing was a "gift", which was passing through the women of the family. When her mother died, it was passed to her and if was something to happen to her the next one to take it was her little sister. It was always the oldest woman, who possessed it. This gift was giving them the ability to foresee the future and to recollect the past, as well. However, she wasn't confident that she could use her power in its best way. Sometimes, she thought of it as a curse, especially in these current days...

Her name was Zafina...She was loved inside the village and especially by the children, since she took it upon herself to teach them everything she knew about their tradition and the outside world. That being said, her guru and leader of the village was giving her a lot of missions outside the lands of Middle East and because of that she came across the progressive world. Everything, there, was easier when it was coming to food or roof but in the same time it was complicated. Zafina, as the observant person that she was, noticed the twisted minds and souls the people possessed and that scared her. In other words, she wasn't tempted at all to leave the old way of surviving in the Middle East and come to live in this dangerous place with the easy life. She preferred to protect her soul...

She was living with her sister in the house they left behind. They rebuild it together and made it even more beautiful than before. Zafina was enjoying spending time with her sister. She was the only one left to her anyway. However, the other villagers were doing a lot for them and made them think that they weren't alone. The sisters were thankful to them. Her sister's name was Amina. She was fifteen years old and she was sharing a ten year old gap difference with her older sister. Their mother died when Zafina was sixteen, thus for Amina she was her mother figure as well and she did her best to not disappoint her sister, who treasured so much. In contrast to her sister, Amina chose an easier life as a sewer along with other women of her age and older. She was the one making all of hers and Zafina's outfits with fabrics and other goods, travelers from China and other places of the East, and not only, were giving them and they were providing them with food and entertainment. In other words, when Zafina wasn't in a mission, she was sharing a peaceful life with her sister...

Tonight was another beautiful night...

The villagers were dancing and eating around the fire. Zafina's sister started the dance and she was watching her from afar. She was relieved to see her smile but in the same time a heavy burden was holding her back. Something inside her was telling her that these days aren't going to last for a long time. That saddened her...

She turned her back to her villagers' feast and made her way to the deathly hill of her village. There, she was alone and could study the stars in peace. However, she didn't come here for this tonight. She couldn't sleep any of these nights since she started having this feeling inside her. But why did she come here anyway? Did she hope for a vision? But it wasn't like she couldn't see it by herself. It wasn't that...She was too afraid to come up with a vision, especially if she was the one searching for it. What if what she was feeling was something like before? She knew that the days weren't peaceful as her fellow villagers believed. Only she and her guru knew of this. The others weren't ready to know but till now, according to Zafina's thoughts. She knew that by leaving them in the dark they weren't protecting them...

Her big brown eyes travelled through the black-bluish full of stars sky. She smiled at the sight above her and then she looked at the full moon. Her face's muscles tightened for a while and she fell on the ground. It was coming what she wanted to avoid...

The pupil of her eyes gotten bigger and she fell into her vision...

 _Zafina found herself in a relentless desert..._

 _With the air she thought that she would lose her balance and she rested herself on her knees to avoid it..._

 _She tried to look in front of her but the dust was covering the entire place along with her eyes..._

 _She knew that she needed to continue through her whole vision and found the strength to stand up..._

 _Suddenly her surroundings changed once again..._

 _A white light "blinded" her and little by little it disappeared..._

 _Zafina felt that she could open her eyes..._

 _She was left breathless at the sight in front of her..._

 _Blood everywhere...Human blood...Was it her people's blood or not?_

 _She couldn't understand this vision..._

 _Was it something that she will encounter in the future or something that she needed to find out through this vision?_

 _She gathered the courage left within her and walked further..._

 _Her surroundings didn't change until she started watching dead corpses at her right and left..._

 _All the bloody place and the corpses disappeared...That relieved her for a moment..._

 _It was dark again but she had a small eye sight..._

 _She was walking further until she saw him..._

 _Azazel..._

 _She didn't believe her eyes...That wasn't possible...He was destroyed...The temple she was supposed to protect with him inside was disappeared and not destroyed..._

 _She saw as he released a laser above her and she covered herself..._

 _The only thing she thought of doing was to fight him..._

 _She made her attack by running to him but an invisible wall threw her behind..._

 _She stood up and opened her eyes..._

 _Azazel was nowhere to be found..._

 _His place took three male bodies on the ground...their faces hidden..._

 _They weren't dead, were they? She thought...There was no blood coming from them..._

 _For a second she thought of approaching them but her body held her back...That was true...This was a vision, she couldn't interfere...Her body is moving on its own now..._

 _She watched as the man's body at her right disappeared into the white light...He left nothing behind him...Nothing that would leave her a clue of who he is..._

 _The man's body on her left was swallowed by the floor's darkness...The same happened with him as well..._

 _The only one left was the man right in front of her..._

 _Her body allowed her to approach him..._

 _She kneeled down and touched his body..._

 _He was warm...Alive..._

 _She moved her hands from his chest to find his face...She tried hard to touch it because it was hidden...At first, she thought if there was a face in the first place..._

 _She felt his breath on her hand's skin and she smiled...Yes, he was truly alive...But why did that relieved her that much?_

 _Suddenly, she watched as his left hand tried to reach for her own on his face but when it made contact with her skin..._

Zafina snapped out of her vision...

It was the most clueless of all she had before...

She was still scared from the sight she saw. She needed to discuss this with the guru as soon as possible. She placed her hand on her chest and sensed her strong heartbeat...

She closed her eyes for a while but she opened them widely when she heard a voice...

"Zafina?!" said a male voice...

With her hand still on her chest, she watched him as he approached her and kneeled beside her. He looked her in the eyes and touched her shoulders...

"I saw you, almost, fainted. Did anything happen to you? Are you not feeling ok? Please, tell me." he said with concern to Zafina's surprise. This man beside her was one of the other protectors, who was always composed and focused on his practice even though he was still very young to take a mission on his own. He reminded her of her when she was in his age...

"Faris...Why did you come here?"

He stood up and extended a hand for Zafina. She took it and stood up as well...

"The guru asked me to look for you...He was the one, who told me that you may be, here."

She nodded...

The guru must have felt it as well. She looked at the man in front of her and said...

"I see...I'll go and find him. Thank you for coming up here just to inform me."

The man smiled at her and she returned the smile...

"You don't need to thank me. Will you follow me or you're going to come later?"

"Lead the way. I'm right behind you."

With that they left the hill but Zafina looked again back at the full moon to notice a small red spot, which made her even more worried...

The guru was living a little more isolated than the rest of the villagers. Even though, he was the leader of them, he didn't have a big house because he didn't need one being alone and of course he didn't want to seem different from the rest. He was attending sometimes the feast his fellow villagers were holding but the rest of the day he was spending it inside his room studying. From the small amount of people, who were visiting him, was Zafina. Every vision she would have, she would go and discuss it with him or ask for his advice. The guru knew both of her parents. He knew her talented father, who was a protector, and her mother, who was using her power as an astrologist. He had her mother under his care because she didn't know how to use seriously her power and she needed his guidance...

When they died, they left behind the sixteen year old Zafina, who just started practicing the assassination arts to become like her father, and the six year old Amina, who was following around her mother. The guru took them under his care for them to study properly and face the world. He knew that Zafina was capable in housework but she was still lost and helpless after their parents' passing...

He walked next to the open window holding a cup with wine inside. He looked at the sky and watched the full moon, which was like it was bleeding. He knew that Zafina had a vision. He knew that from the moment the moon appeared. He sighed and turned his head to the entrance of his house when he heard someone opening the curtain...

"I'm here, master." She said bowing her head...

He nodded and motioned for her to walk further inside. With small steps she made her way inside and sat on the ground following after the guru...

"Would you like some wine?" he said offering her a cup...

Zafina took it in her hands and thanked him. She didn't intent in drinking it but she didn't want to offend him...

"You don't need to drink it if you don't wish to."

Her eyes widened. She knew that the guru had his own powers but she never expected him to be able to read thoughts. She smiled and said looking inside the cup...

"I always knew that you were having divine powers, master...However, I never expected you being able to read people's minds?"

The guru refilled his cup with wine and said...

"Who said I do? No one is able to do such thing, child"

"But how did you?"

He smiled in Zafina's puzzled look...

"Being isolated from my fellow villagers made me want to observe how they act and express emotions."

Zafina was even more confused. She placed the cup next to her on the ground and said...

"It's not like I want to oppose you, master but, me not wanting to drink the wine you offered me, didn't have anything to do with emotions. Am I right?"

The guru nodded...

"You got me, child. I just wanted to trouble a little your mind."

Zafina sighed. The last thing she wanted was the guru's little mind games. She didn't have time for that. She had to ask his opinion on her vision. The guru drank the wine and placed the cup next to him, as she did before...

"Forgive me for playing with your already troubled mind, Zafina."

She took her hands with his and said...

"Do not mention it, master. In your way, I know you did it to cheer me up after that confusing vision I had. I suppose you summoned me here tonight for this."

Zafina released him and the guru nodded...

"Have you found a way to explain it?" he said...

She shook her head and frowned...

"N-No...I need your help once again, master. Please, lend me your help." She said pleading him...

"I guessed that the vision came to you when you faced the moon, right?"

Zafina didn't say anything. Thinking of the moon made her recall her horrific vision. The guru took her silence as a "yes"...

"Whatever it was, you don't need to rush for an explanation."

Her attention was back to him. She watched him as he stood up and approached the window once again. She stayed at her place on the floor. The guru looked at the villagers dancing around the fire and smiled seeing their happiness. He, then, turned to face the puzzled Zafina and said...

"Anyway, what did you see? From your silence, I believe that it was something awkward for you. What was it?"

She made her hands in fists and swallowed hard. She didn't want to repeat in her mind the vision but she knew that the guru could help her if only he knew of what she saw. She looked at him and started telling him about her vision...

"I saw him...I mean A..."

The guru interrupted her...

"Azazel"

Zafina nodded...

"What was he like?"

"He had a more human appearance and smaller, in contrast to what the legends saying...You, maybe, say that it wasn't him but I'm sure, master. It was him!"

He nodded reassuring her and Zafina sighed in relief...

"I believe you. You were the one, who was supposed to protect the temple, he was in. You would know more than anyone, if it was him. But it wasn't just this, was it?"

"T-That's true...I decided to attack him but I was thrown back, however, it wasn't by him. I'm certain about that. When, I stood up, he was nowhere to be found but his place took three male bodies on the ground."

"Male bodies?" he said interrupting her...

Zafina looked at him and nodded...

"I couldn't see their faces. One of them disappeared into a white light, the other was swallowed by the ground and I was able to move when it was only the one in front of me left."

"What did you do then?"

That time she decided to drink some of the wine, she was offered by the guru and he smiled at this...

"I approached him to find out if he was dead or alive. He was alive and then..."

Zafina stopped what she was going to say. For an unknown reason, she found it quite embarrassing. It wasn't like her and she noticed the guru's confused expression...

"Then? What happened? Why did you stop?" he said...

"I looked for his face and touched his cheek. I felt his breath on my skin and suddenly one of his hands touched my own." She said holding the hand, where the mysterious man touched her...

"That was it..." she said sighing...

The guru was confused by Zafina's vision as well but tried to hide it not wanting to trouble her more. She already had a lot inside her mind. However, he didn't tell her the truth. He had already seen Azazel in his dreams as well. In the same way as Zafina did tonight. He knew that he was still out there...Waiting...

He released himself from his thoughts and turned to face her. He noticed her eagerness. She wanted an advice...

"Indeed, your vision was a confusing one."

"Can you help me explain it, master?"

He shook his head and Zafina frowned saddened...

"However, I can tell you this"

She stayed quiet and watched as the guru sat again in front of her...

"Sometimes, your visions may not show you the beginning but the end, or the actions between them. I sensed that your vision wasn't complete as the last one, you had Azazel in it."

"That vision of mines was a complete failure." She said interrupting him...

"No, it wasn't. You saw him being destroyed. That was what you saw and not, who was going to destroy him. The person, you thought he was able to do it and save us, belonged to your own thoughts."

Zafina thought about it and realized her mistake. The guru was right. Back then, she believed that the two evil stars wanted to take Azazel's power for themselves and thought that the other star, in the sky, would be the humanity's savior.

"You are right. I shouldn't have let my own thoughts confuse my mind. I should have stayed focused."

"Don't blame yourself. You are a human with your own opinion and view of things. You're simply having visions and that doesn't mean that you must agree with them or accept them as your own beliefs. You, still, need to understand this." He said touching her shoulder...

Zafina nodded...

"If I understand right, you're telling me that I may need to have other visions, as well, for this one to be completed?"

The guru stood up and extended a hand to her to help her up...

"Yes...But you need to remember something. Don't assume that every vision, you're going to have from now on, is related to this one. Or that this vision was the end of what you're going to see in the future. Everything can change in mere seconds and you know it."

"I understand, master. I'll do my best." She said and turned to leave...

"I trust you, Zafina." He said to himself as he was watching her walking away...

Zafina was making her way back to her house. She was still thinking of the guru's words. In a way, she was relieved that she shared her vision with him. She needed to let it out. While walking she noticed as the villagers were cleaning the place and the fire was blowing out little by little. She had to move faster because her sister was alone at their house. Not that someone was going to hurt her but the sisters were overprotective of each other. She walked closer to her house but decided to help the women, who were cleaning the place. She was glad that they had fun, since these days weren't going to last forever...

She opened the door of her house and her sister ran over to her. That startled her...

"Where have you been all this time?" said her sister...

Zafina closed the door behind her and walked further inside with her sister following her slightly angry. She wore off her shoes and released her hair from her usual hairstyle not paying attention to what her sister was telling her...

"Sister, are you listening to me?"

She looked at her and said...

"I'm sorry, Amina, I wasn't paying attention."

"And why's that?" said Amina crossing her arms under her chest...

Zafina frowned and sat on the pillows they had on the floor. Amina's arms fell on each side of her body. She followed her sister and sat beside her...

"You visited the guru, didn't you? Faris told me, you did."

She nodded and felt Amina's arms around her...

"Z-Zafina...I don't want you to leave again. Please! You have to refuse him. If he gave you a mission, please, refuse him. Do this for me."

She hugged her sister back and caressed her hair...

"I'm not leaving, sweetheart."

Amina released her sister and saw her small smile. She wiped the tears, which were ready to come out of her eyes and said...

"Then, what did he want from you?"

Zafina stood up and pulled her sister together with her. She touched her shoulders and smiled at her...

"Let's go to bed and I'll tell you, ok?"

The little sister nodded and followed her to their bedroom. They were sleeping together and even sharing the same blanket. Zafina was always holding her sister until she would fall asleep singing for her lullabies. They changed into two white gowns and Zafina combed her sister's long black hair she was so pride of. Amina was doing the same with her sister every day. She was the one making her hair and makeup. She would always comment in her mind of how beautiful that woman was. Did their mother look like her sister? Amina didn't know because she had forgotten her…She could hate herself for that…

After that they rested their bodies on the bed and Zafina caressed Amina's cheek with her smiling at her. Amina rested her upper body on her elbows and said...

"Well? What did he want from you?"

Zafina's gaze was fixed at the ceiling but she was still listening to her sister's voice...

"I went to the hill, you know."

"So what?" Amina said...

"Back there..." she stopped for a moment...

"...I saw a vision."

Amina's eyes widened. She turned Zafina's head to look at her and said...

"Why? I mean...Did you want to see it? Or it came by itself?"

"I looked at the moon and it came." She said closing her eyes...

She covered her eyes with her hands. She was the one, who always thought of this gift as a curse. She was afraid of this power and she didn't even want to think of what her sister was facing every time she was drawn into one. Zafina accepted it but she couldn't...

"Did he give you an explanation of what it meant?"

Zafina shook her head...

"He said to not give it any thought for now. It wasn't something important."

"Is that really true?" said her sister worried...

She stood up and rested her back on the wall behind the bed. She took her sister in her arms and said...

"Of course it is. You have nothing to worry about."

Amina nodded and hugged her...

"I trust you, Zafina."

Zafina closed her eyes and started singing to her sister...

She thought that maybe, Amina found out her lies but kept silent because she wanted to believe that it was true. She understood her sister's fears. She was afraid that she would lose her. She was living with the fear of that gift becoming hers...

However, she wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't allow anyone to mess with her sister and the villager's lives. She had come to realize that with this gift and its power, she was, also, carrying, on her back, a lot of people's fates...

 **Zafina won't be appearing for some of the next chapters because I want to introduce the other characters (there're a lot of them), since I'm going to focus in their stories as well. There's gonna be a lot of dialogue, too and that's the reason why the next chapters are going to be long.**

 **My other protagonists, Lars, Julia and Tougou are coming next…Oh…And my sweet Alisa will be there (and some others).**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **Tokyo, Mishima Zaibatsu...**

 **One year ago...**

After Jin Kazama's death, the Mishima Zaibatsu was passed into Nina William's hands. That was what everyone thought and there was no reason to believe otherwise, since she was his right hand and the most trustworthy person inside it, while he was the CEO. Even if, she was the head of the Zaibatsu now, she didn't do anything with it and Kazuya didn't bother in claiming it back since he had gotten what he always wanted. His other half back. He was once again the Devil, he was before Jin was born. At least that was how he was feeling. No one saw Jin's body after his fight with Azazel...

Even though, she was the new CEO, Nina was still under orders from her dead boss. The only thing she had to do was to wait. She was sure that Jin was dead but, also, that the war was not finished. There were still other people on the map, as well. Jin warned her that she would be still busy and only when the Zaibatsu is destroyed her mission will be accomplished. Nina knew what he meant by that. That was what she was waiting for inside the Zaibatsu. His arrival...The one's, who would destroy it...

She walked and stood by the window. He was close...She knew it. A smile crossed her lips. The day was finally, here. It's been a year already. The door of the big, black office opened and an armored man walked inside. Nina crossed her arms and said...

"Something to report?"

And then the man reported to her what she wanted to know. She dismissed him, giving him some last orders and then, she sat on the desk's chair as the CEO, for the last time in her life. The game was to start again. She crossed her legs and watched as a tall, handsome man with a girl next to him walked inside "her" office...

"It's been quite a long time, hasn't it, Mr. Alexandersson?" she said...

"Someone could say so." He said walking further...

Nina stood up and approached him. She watched his face and the desperation in his eyes. One could say that he was ashamed being here. She, then, looked at the girl next to him. Her face expression and body, which was clinging next to Lars', were giving clues that she was feeling out of place. However, she had being useful once again. "That thing" was the one, who gave her information on where he was and what he was doing, without her even knowing it. Even robots are stupid. That was what she thought and laughed in the inside...

"Well, what brings you here?"

Lars smiled...

"Like you don't know. I'm here to have a certain conversation with you."

Nina nodded...

"Good, though it took you almost a year to take the decision. But better late than never."

She looked at Alisa and then at him, giving him a clue that she wants her out. Lars sighed and said turning to face her...

"Alisa, could you please let us have a conversation alone?"

She nodded and smiled at him listening to his gentle voice and walked herself outside. Lars watched her as she closed the door behind her and turned to face Nina...

"She's gone, as you wished. Shall we begin?"

Nina smirked and walked back to the desk. She opened a drawer and took out a white paper. It was a contract. It was already having a sign on it and it needed the other party's one to be valid. She placed it on the desk and in front of Lars. He walked to the desk and took the paper in his hands. He read it and after a while, he put it down again on the desk. Nina was watching all this time his moves. She sat on the desk's edge and watched as Lars was looking at her...

"What now? You said that you want to begin. You know, what you have to do for that to happen, right?"

Lars nodded and his eyes looked around the cold, black office...

"It's up to you" said Nina giving him a pen...

He took the pen in his hands and without thinking of it any longer, he signed the paper. He dropped the pen and Nina laughed at his face. He was looking like he signed his death sentence. Lars looked at her and she stopped. She had to show respect to her new boss from now on. She stood up from the desk and walked to the chair behind the desk. She pulled it and said looking at him...

"Well, will you have a seat?"

For the first time tonight Lars smiled and approached the CEO's chair...

 **Present day...**

From the day, it was worldwide known that the Mishima Zaibatsu had a new CEO, the media were all over Lars. He had already given an interview, which played all over the world, saying that he will be the one to correct what Jin Kazama made wrong. All the people, who were thinking of G-Corporation as a "hero" back then, turned all these feelings to Lars' side. They knew he betrayed his position as the Tekken Force Officer and Leader to rebel against Jin Kazama with his own army, the Yggdrasil. His army back there belonged in the Tekken Force and seeing how trustworthy and caring leader Lars was, a surprisingly big amount of soldiers followed and aided him, helping him create the new era, he wished for...

At first, Lars was insecure about how he should work it out but as soon as his brother, Kazuya, made his comeback, he decided that there was no other way to end this. He had to fight him back with every advantage of being the leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu was giving him. He felt guilty while creating these thoughts in his mind but he couldn't do otherwise. If fighting and destroying Kazuya and the G- Corporation meant to sacrifice his people or himself, he would do it. Right now, he understood, somehow, how Jin really felt...

Before, he came to accept what Nina proposed to him two years ago, he had made his own investigation, after Lee's advice. He told him that you never know with the Mishimas. One day, they are dead and the other alive in front of you. Kazuya and Heihachi were experts in this kind of game. Lars agreed with Lee on that and decided to go back to the desert after Alisa had been fixed to join him. They did their investigation, which took around three months. After founding nothing, they gave up. However, something inside Lars was telling him that he didn't figure out all the possibilities...

When, Kazuya learnt of Lars being the new CEO, he just smiled. Going against him would be just a waste of time. In other words, it was futile going against G-Corporation and especially, the "old" him. He felt that he had his old power back. He was complete. He didn't do anything and still the power came back to him. Like it was meant to be this way. What once wholly belonged to him…returned. That was what Kazuya felt the day his son died.

These days, however, he started feeling a presence around him. It was an odd feeling. He started losing again control over his power, like he was losing part of it once again. But it wasn't just that...He wasn't feeling only the possibility of Jin's presence but something else as well...unfamiliar. And it was, then, when he took this decision...

He knew that Lars would made his move against him, sooner or later, and in the state he was in, he couldn't risk his position as the leader of G-Corporation. The only thing he thought of doing was to start the war against him. To be the one, who sets the battle scene and if there was a chance of his son being alive, to lure him...

 **Tokyo, G-Corporation Headquarters...**

Now, he was sitting inside his office waiting for Anna Williams to give him today's report. Even Anna was surprised when she heard about his decision of doing that war against the Zaibatsu. He had already what he wanted, right? However, she didn't think much of it. Asking him would be only loss of time, since she wasn't going to take a proper answer and on the other hand, she would find the chance to meet with her sister and defeat her this time. It was true that she "missed" her between these two years. And she thought that seeing Lars Alexandersson's handsome face making a lot of different facial expressions, especially those full of agony, would be interesting...

Kazuya turned to face the door, when he heard someone opening it. It was Anna...

"What news do we have?" he said...

Anna walked inside and approached Kazuya's office...

"Everything's moving forward. Jane, almost, has finished working on the new JACK model and as she said, we can start the manufacture in around two days."

He nodded...

"What about our army and the investigation department? Did they search what I said?"

Anna smiled and crossed her arms...

"About the army thing you said, Bruce can handle it perfectly, at least, that was what he said to me. Now about the investigation..."

She stopped what she was saying and Kazuya looked confused at her. He didn't like the expression she wore...

"Why did you stop? Say what you want."

She sighed. She knew that even if the news weren't good or bad, he wouldn't like it and she couldn't blame him...

"I don't know...I mean, the news I've got for you are not good nor bad."

"You're confusing me."

"They said that, you were right on the fact that, indeed, there was something connected to your devil gene at this place but..."

She stopped once again...

"But?" said Kazuya making his hands in fists...

Anna managed to look at him and said...

"The place is somewhere in the Middle East. In the past, both G-Corp and the Mishima Zaibatsu, probably under Heihachi's lead, I guess, made investigations there. These investigations had to do with finding part of the devil's DNA. Little by little, they found out what, specifically, was this place. It was a tomb. They continued with investigating on how to open it. However, even though they were close in finding it out, they backed secretly away from the whole thing."

"And why's that?" he asked...

Anna smirked...

"I thought that you have already guessed that. Twenty two years ago they retrieved Kazuya Mishima's body and made their investigations on him. You, in other words. Now tell me. Does this ring a bell?"

Kazuya didn't bother answering. He stood up and approached the window and placed his hands behind his back...

"The Mishima Zaibatsu continued the investigation further but eventually they stopped after a fifteen year old boy claimed that he was your one and only son"

"Jin..."

Anna smiled and nodded...

"But to finish what I wanted to tell you, I have to say that we don't possess the investigation's papers or any data on it."

"How is that possible?!" he said angrily, startling her...

Anna sat on his office and said looking at her red colored nails...

"When Alexandersson came to save Chaolan's spy, the place, where it was hidden and where we had her locked, was exploded due to the commotion."

"And what can we do now?" he asked trying to keep his calm...

Anna sighed...

"You're the boss. It's up to you..."

She stopped for a while but said again...

...But I wanted to ask you something."

Kazuya turned to face her and said...

"And what this might be?"

She smiled...She knew that she would trigger something inside of him that would make things even more interesting...

"I was just wondering...You said that after Jin Kazama's death you had full control of your power but this changed some months later, is that right?"

He raised an eyebrow and all came straight in his mind...

"You don't mean, he did something stupid, right?"

"When you say...stupid?" she asked...

"Ugh...I can't believe that this might be happening again."

Anna laughed...

"Why are you saying that? After all, you are his father. He must have inherited something from you, as well, and not only from his goody two-shoes mommy...umm...like no having self-control." She said jokingly...

She stopped laughing when she saw him hitting angrily the office and she stood up walking behind. She shouldn't have said that. She let him destroy his office without saying anything and then she heard...

"If that's the case, we don't have time."

Anna raised an eyebrow...

"Huh?"

"Find that girl for me and bring her, here. She was the only one close to him. It has to be her!"

She sighed...

"Relax...I'll check it out but I doubt that something might have happened between them. It just might be an unrequited love from her side, anyway."

"And how can you be so sure?" he said angrily...

"First of all, she was in the tournament and she didn't have any access in the Zaibatsu since, Jin Kazama was unapproachable"

Kazuya rolled his eyes...

"Can you hear yourself? He maybe was unapproachable but that doesn't mean he couldn't approach someone."

Anna nodded...

"Fine...You're right, here. I'll check her out, ok?" she said turning to walk out...

Kazuya sat on his chair and said stopping her with his voice...

"I don't want you just to check her out. Bring her here. Even if she wasn't carrying my son's child, we'll need her."

Anna frowned...

"I'm wondering what you're having inside your mind."

Kazuya smirked and Anna walked finally out of his office...

Anna obeyed Kazuya's orders and proceeded to do what he asked her. She smiled thinking that things were becoming more interesting with the days passing and at times like these she was wondering how her sister was doing...

 **Tokyo, Mishima Zaibatsu...**

Lars Alexandersson started to get used to his position as a CEO, however he never left his place as the Yggdrasil's captain. When, he was sending them on a mission, he was always the first thrown into incoming fights. That was his duty and what made the staff inside the Zaibatsu to admire him. He was worried these days and that happened because of a conversation he had with Alisa. She told him that she cannot dismiss Jin Kazama as her master inside her data, it was like he was still alive and she was waiting for his next command. Lars thought that what Alisa said might have a point, since she was devastated when she realized that her father was dead. The task she was assigned to fulfill from the time she was created was to look for him but when he died all of a sudden this task was somehow deleted inside her data by itself. Then, he remembered her words...

" _What are you trying to tell me, Alisa? I don't quite understand."_

 _Alisa had a puzzled expression. She couldn't understand this either. It was like she confided to Lars, for him to give her an explanation about what was happening to her. She brought her hands together and said looking at the floor..._

" _I mean that, if Master Jin Kazama was dead, shouldn't my mission of protecting him have been deleted inside my data?"_

 _Lars stayed quiet...He didn't want to create any confusing thoughts inside his mind before he would be sure that Alisa's worries might have been valid. If that was true, it would mean that Jin was still somewhere over there alive. In a way that made him happy but on the other hand it would mean that more blood would be spilled than it already has. Then, he heard her again..._

" _And, also, I realized it when my father's life ended. I was assigned to find him before I was Jin Kazama's protector. I mean that I don't have this as a mission anymore...unfortunately..."_

 _Lars nodded. He had to find out if what Alisa said was making any sense and he knew ,who was the one able to answer these questions of his..._

He walked outside the bathroom with a towel around his waist. Some of his front locks were touching his shoulders and then with his hands he placed them all behind. He sighed and sat for a while on the bed. He knew that he didn't have time to relax and Lee was already waiting for him at his company. Lars believed that his adoptive brother could be the only one, who could find a solution about if what Alisa said might be true. Realizing he was losing valuable time he stood up and dressed himself...

Alisa was waiting for him. She wanted herself to find out if her "instincts" were right and her Master was alive. That would make her happy knowing that such news would bring happiness to her friend. She was still wondering how _Xiao-onesan_ , as she thought of her, was doing. Was she safe? Was she eating well? Where was she? Here in Japan or back to her homeland? The second option saddened her. She wouldn't be able to see her again and that was making her think of how horrible of a friend she had been. Between these two years, she never went to see her. She didn't want Xiaoyu to hate her for that but she wouldn't mind if she knew that her friend was safe...

Lars walked inside his office and watched Alisa's sorrowful expression. She didn't notice him and he touched her shoulder to gain her attention. He startled her and she turned to face him. He smiled to her and she returned the smile. Alisa bowed to him and Lars said...

"Alisa, are you ready? Shall we go?"

She nodded and then they made their way outside the office and to Lee Chaolan's company...

While in Lars' car to Lee's company, Alisa saw an amusement park opening and she remembered when she had been in one with Xiaoyu and Miharu once. She treasured these memories. Lars turned to see her and noticed once again a worried frown...

"Alisa, can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked with concern...

She looked in front of her and said...

"I was thinking of a friend of mine."

Lars raised an eyebrow...

"A friend of yours? You seem worried...Is that friend me?" he said jokingly...

Alisa waved her hands and said lowering her head...

"No...She's a friend that I really miss."

He noticed the sad tone in her voice and that made him curious. It was known that he cared for Alisa and he wanted to help her in any way he was able to do. However, most of the times it was happening the opposite...

"I see...And may I ask who that person is? Maybe if we have time we can visit her."

Alisa's eyes widened. That would be nice but she couldn't ask from Lars something that would take valuable time of his work because she knew that if they would find her, she would want to stay with Xiaoyu after such a long time...

"She is Xiao-onesan..."

"X-Xiao-onesan? Who is she? Do you have a sister? You've never talked to me about her before. And could it be that something happened to her? From your face I can guess something like that."

Alisa touched her chest with both of her hands. That was the last thing she would want...

"We're not sisters…I just love her like that but…can we not talk about this anymore?"

Lars nodded. Alisa wanted some time with her thoughts and he decided to let her be...

 **Tokyo, Violet Systems...**

After thirty minutes they arrived. Lars parked the car and Alisa opened the door with her face looking at the ground. Lars was really worried about her. However, they had to move for now and later he would think of something to cheer her up. They walked inside the building and Lee's secretary welcomed them. She led them to his huge office and when she opened the door they walked inside seeing Lee having "fun" with some of his beloved Violet Girls. Lars' eyes widened but he smiled when he realized that this sight in front of him was a typical day for his brother. Some things never change and Lee was the obvious example...

When he noticed them, he excused himself from his company and after greeting them both, he led them to his main office. He sat on his CEO chair and motioned for both Lars and Alisa to sit opposite him. He offered him some wine and Lars took it in his hand. He looked inside it and noticed the beautiful red color. After he had a sip, Lee said...

"Well, how is it?"

Lars smiled and said...

"Excellent, as you would say, right?"

Lee smiled and heard Lars once again...

"Where did you buy it from?"

"My secretary gave it to me as a birthday present. I told her that she could give a more substantial present but she keeps refusing me. I can't understand some women."

Lars laughed at his brother. He knew obviously what he meant as a more "substantial present"...

"It's ok...It was just a woman and there are a lot of them out there, isn't that right?"

"Sure but I noticed that I'm not in my best shape, both my secretary and a friend of mine don't find me desirable. Have I lost my sex appeal?"

Lars sighed and thought that he wasn't here to listen about Lee's sex life problems and Alisa kept being silent and depressed even though she was smiling at Lee. However, Lee's "silliness" could lighten up the mood a little...

"Who is that friend of yours?"

Lee raised an eyebrow...

"Oh! You know her."

That time someone knocked on Lee's door and he said...

"Come in!"

A beautiful girl with long, brown lair wrapped in two braids walked inside the office. Lars remembered her. Even though back there, when he saved her, he couldn't give her much attention, he commented in his mind of how pretty that girl was. The girl was Julia Chang and as always she was wearing her glasses, which made her even cuter and Lars more curious about how she would be without them. She was holding some files in her hands and walked next to Lee placing them in front of him. Lee took a quick look at those and then he shoved them slowly in front of Lars. He looked confused at Alisa and she just returned the look. It was true, why should Alisa know what's inside those files? Lee took notice of his brother's troubled look and said...

"Before, I tell you about these documents, I have to reintroduce to both you and Alisa, my good friend, Julia Chang."

Julia smiled and said, while bowing at them...

"Nice to meet you, Lars...Alisa."

Alisa stood up and introduced herself smiling at the polite Julia. Lars, after seeing Alisa, did the same but instead he walked next to her. He gave her his hand for a handshake and said...

"It's nice to see you safe and sound. And Lee is right. We should have reintroduced ourselves. Pleased to meet you."

She gave him her hand and smiled. In the inside, Julia was really flustered because of him. It was true that after meeting him two years ago, he immediately took her attention. It's true that he was attractive but it wasn't just that. He had created a big impact inside of her that made her to not be able to forget him in these two years. For her it was the first time being so interested in a man. When, she learnt from Lee Chaolan that he would come here, she felt really happy because she would have another chance to meet him and even getting to know him better but she was disappointed because of the circumstances under this meeting was happening...

Lee asked from Julia to sit down as well and Lars pulled the chair for her to sit down. She thanked him and he walked to his seat next to Alisa. Lee cleared his throat and said...

"Lars...You said something about Alisa's system, right?"

"It's not like that...I was hoping that you would find a reason to why this is happening. Even Alisa can't figure it out."

Lee walked to Alisa's place and caressed her hair, like how he would do with his kitten. Alisa smiled and crossed her fingers...

"You said that Alisa has a feeling that Jin Kazama might still be alive."

Lars nodded and watched as Alisa said...

"Mr. Chaolan...When I was created, my father even before my use assigned me with a mission...to find him. When he died, this task of mine was deleted inside my data. However, I'm wondering...If master Jin Kazama was dead, shouldn't the same might be happening with him?"

Lee listened carefully to what Alisa was telling him...

"Could it be that there's a virus in my system?" said Alisa confused again...

Lee managed to control his laugh, even though Lars noticed him and felt irritated. He came here to ask for his help and not to entertain him with Alisa's innocence. Julia touched gently Alisa's hand making her look at her...

"Alisa? When, Mr. Chaolan fixed you back, as you know, he rebooted your system."

She nodded...

"And you still feel like you're waiting for Jin Kazama's orders?"

"Uh...Y-Yes..."

Julia released Alisa's hand and placed her own under her chin. She then turned to face an equally confused Lee and said...

"Mr. Chaolan, I think that we should take a look at this. We mustn't ignore what Alisa confided to us. If what she senses and believes is valid...then, this changes everything."

Lars nodded agreeing with Julia. Lee with his hand pulled Alisa up. He looked at her from head to toe for an unknown reason, however, that was something that didn't confuse Julia as it did with Lars. She always commented of how "eccentric" the CEO of Violet Systems was. She sighed at this and heard Lee saying while looking at her...

"Julia...I think, you're right."

" _You think?"_ she thought raising an eyebrow in irony...

"Please take her to the laboratory and we'll join you soon." He said again...

Julia nodded and with her hand touched Alisa's back leading her outside.

"Wait! What are you going to do to her?"

The three of them looked at Lars, who was clueless about what they were going to do with Alisa. Didn't he ask for his help for that reason? To check on Alisa? How was he supposed to do that if not taking to the laboratory? Lee approached him and said touching his shoulder...

"You don't have to be so overprotective with Alisa. You said that you want my help. How am I supposed to give it to you if I won't check her system?"

Lars sighed, thinking that Lee was right and said...

"I get it...Don't mind me...Just be careful with her."

Alisa smiled thinking that Lars cared for her. He was still thinking of her as human. That was a relief to her lonely "heart". She wasn't alone. These words coming from Lars confused Julia. What kind of relationship did he share with her? She wanted to erase from her mind any disturbing thoughts coming to her. It couldn't be that he liked her as a woman, right? Somehow she felt insecure. Lee dismissed both Julia and Alisa and asked from his brother to sit on his seat again. He walked to his chair and said...

"You have to stop thinking of her so much."

Lars' eyes widened...

"W-What do you mean with that?"

Lee lightened up a cigar and said after exhaling some smoke...

"The way you're acting towards her...Don't you find it somehow...abnormal?"

"When you say abnormal?" he said raising an eyebrow...

"You know what I mean...I admit..." he said smiling...

Lars just looked weirdly at him. He didn't know where he was leading this conversation at. And what did his relationship with Alisa have to do with the reason he visited him. Lee stood up still having his cigar between his fingers and said looking outside the window...

"I admit it, brother...Alisa is a wonderful, lovely girl...But that's how it will always be with her. She will always be a girl...never a woman. You know where I'm getting at, right?"

He sighed. Now he got it. A lot of people misunderstood him but never gave them any attention. But hearing that from Lee...surprised him...

"I know, Lee" he said smiling... "Since you are my brother, I'll bother to explain to you about my feelings for Alisa."

Lee nodded...

"I'm ready to hear you."

He crossed his arms and looked seriously at his brother. It was his first time explaining himself in such a way...

"For me, Alisa is somewhat like a daughter or, let's say, better a little sister. Yeah...That's it! My image of how a little sister should be like became Alisa." he said with a gentle smile...

When he woke up from these thoughts of his, the smile disappeared. He noticed Lee looking at him mockingly. He frowned irritated at his smile and said...

"W-Why is that smile for? Didn't I explain myself to you?"

He nodded...

"You really did...I'm glad to hear that kind of response. I guess it's somehow...acceptable."

"I reassure you, I'm sexually attracted to women with blood inside their veins. Are you satisfied?"

Lee smiled...

"Sure I do...Now on the main subject."

Lars sighed relieved and said...

"Finally...Anyway, what are these files?"

"Feel free to take a look" said Lee turning his back at him...

He took the papers and looked inside. He read about an investigation in the Middle East, which happened twenty three years ago. He saw a variety of pictures featuring a tomb and the place around it. He read the name of the company, G-Corporation and then, the subject of the investigation. His eyes widened...He continued reading the papers but the investigation ended with no specific results. Did they drop it? And of course from the file and the condition of the papers, someone could say that the investigation happened years ago. That was something, he made sure when he read the date at the bottom of the last page. He raised his gaze to see Lee looking at him. He looked back at the papers and gathered them together once again placing them on the desk...

"Where did you get these files from?" he asked...

"Can't you tell? G-Corporation of course." He said smiling...

"But as I read, they kept these files at their Archeology Research Facility. That was the place, where they were keeping Julia and when we managed to escape, the place was exploded because of the gunfire. Everything was destroyed there. Are we sure that these files are valid?"

Lee smirked and said...

"You think I sent Julia there just to get her captured? Of course, everything was destroyed there but not before my precious Julia managed to steal them. To be honest I didn't know that she took them. She must have her reasons as well. You know she was the one, who called me because she couldn't contact you."

"What did she want with me?" he asked confused...

"I wouldn't have this confused expression on my face after hearing that a beautiful girl as Julia wanted to see me. I guess, you have already got it."

Lars stood up and said resting his back on the wall...

"Got...what?"

"That in this family, we are the only ones with the looks."

Lars smiled but he stopped immediately...

"Lee, this isn't the time to joke."

"I know...Anyway, even though I read the files, this isn't something I can help you with. Julia wanted to talk with you about that and while I will be checking on Alisa, you two can talk, alright?"

Lars nodded and watched as Lee opened the door for them to walk outside...

Julia and Alisa were already at the laboratory. The first was opening the computers inside the place and Alisa was sitting on a patient's bed as Julia asked her. While checking the computers, Julia was thinking if Lee discussed with Lars the subject, which was bothering her all this time but in the same time she was questioning herself, if she made the right decision by trusting Lars. Would it be better if she burn them when she stole them in the first place? Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Alisa's voice...

"I-I'm sorry...Umm..."

Julia turned to face her and noticed her troubled expression...

"Can I help you with something, Alisa? If you're worried about what Mr. Chaolan is having inside his mind to do to you, you don't have to worry. I know he's somehow weird in his public life but he's in a serious mode while in work. He's just going to take a look inside your system, nothing that will make harm to you, ok?" said Julia trying to reassure her...

Alisa smiled at Julia's words. However, that wasn't what was worrying her. What if she was right and Jin Kazama was still alive? Will she have to betray Lars once again under his commands? That thing scared her because, while ordered around by Jin, she couldn't do anything. She wanted to ask her what was going to happen if, indeed, her master wasn't dead. When, she tried to open her mouth, the door opened and both Lee and Lars walked inside. Lee approached Julia and asked her what she was doing and Lars walked by Alisa's side and said while smiling at her...

"Alisa? Are you ok?"

She nodded. Lars' caring voice was always reassuring...

"I'm fine...Miss Chang said that they won't make any damage to my system and that they will just take a look at it."

"Is that so? Then, that's good! And I won't have to worry either."

To Julia's annoyance, Lee double checked what she did and when he made sure that everything was right, he turned to Alisa and Lars...

"Alisa, dear? Will you come here?"

Alisa nodded and walked by Lee's side. He touched her shoulders and said...

"Listen, we will only connect you to these computers, ok? Nothing will happen to you, except from this."

Lars said from the place, where Alisa was sitting before...

"And what are you going to check, Lee?"

He turned to face him and said...

"Everything, of course!"

Julia walked to Alisa's side and asked her to follow her. She connected her cables to the computers and she waited for Lee's command to start the scanning. He walked to her and said...

"Julia, leave the rest to me. I discussed something with Lars as I promised you but I'll leave you to do the talking and it's not like I know the details."

She nodded and looked at Lars. He smiled to her and she heard him...

"Miss Chang, shall we go?"

Julia nodded and taking her bag walked to Lars' place. When, he was ready to walk to the door, he turned to face Lee and said...

"Where can we talk in peace?"

"Well...Ah...I know the perfect place. You can go and rest in my "break station" room. Julia knows where it is."

With that they walked outside and headed to the room, Lee suggested them to go...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu...**

Since Lars left, his office was empty. Nina was busy inside her room trying to figure out how she would be able to get inside the G-Corporation's Medical section, knowing that the woman creating the JACKS was spending her time there. Lars asked from her to sneak inside and get information about the new design of the robots from her. Nina asked if she was supposed to kill her afterwards but Lars said an absolute **no**. She found it weird since she was with G-Corporation and she was considered as an enemy without question. _"I don't care what you're gonna do but you're not allowed to lay a finger on her"_. What was the deal with her?

She wore her cat suit and walked out of her room making her way to Lars' office in hopes that he would be back by now. She was now out of the door and opened it. She walked inside the dim lighted room and saw a figure physically similar to Lars' but it wasn't his. She raised an eyebrow but when she took a better look she recognized him...

"Tougou, why are you here?" she said making him turn to see her...

"Where's Lars? I need to talk to him."

Nina walked to the office and said...

"He said that he was going to go to Lee Chaolan's company with the robot."

"Why with her?" he said confused...

"I don't know anything specific about that but he said something about the robot's system and wants Lee to check on that."

He sighed...

"I see...That Lars...He's getting really worked up whenever this girl is involved. If this keeps going I'll start to worry about him."

Nina crossed her arms and smiled...

"I wouldn't blame you. Anyway, why don't you call him?"

He took out his phone and said...

"I'll do that...But, first, I'm taking my leave. Good work!"

Nina nodded and saw him as he walked outside the office...

 **Violet Systems...**

Julia walked alongside Lars to where Lee asked them to go. She opened the door and asked from Lars to walk inside, however, he insisted for her to walk inside first and she did after smiling at the gentleman. Lars rolled mentally his eyes when he noticed the room's decoration. Red walls, roses all over the place, a bar with all kinds of wines and of course in the end of the room a large bed. Yes, indeed, that was Lee's relaxation room. But why did he send them here? Was he mocking him? And it wasn't like he didn't like the company. At the same time he wondered what Julia was thinking. The poor woman must have been shocked. Maybe she knew where the room was but not what there was inside it...

Indeed, she had thoughts familiar to Lars' but she didn't think much about it. What she wanted to talk about with him was much more important than an awkward situation between them. She sat on a couch and Lars seeing her doing that followed behind her and sat opposite her...

"Can I call you Julia? What do you say?" he asked wanting to be less formal...

Her eyes widened in happiness. That was what she wanted for him to ask her...

"Sure, that would feel great...umm...Lars." she said...

He smiled at her and after a while he heard her saying...

"Since, Mr. Chaolan already gave you the files I managed to take from G-Corp there's no need for introductions. And anyway, I don't want to take much of your time, because maybe you'll find it useless in the future and..."

Suddenly, Lars' cell interrupted Julia. He took it out of his pocket. He was confused if he should answer it or continue his conversation with Julia. She noticed his doubts and said...

"You should answer it. I guess that in the position you're in you shouldn't ignore any calls."

Lars said excusing himself...

"I'm really sorry for that but it's my lieutenant. I have to listen to what he has to say."

Julia nodded dismissing him. He stood up and walked further inside the room. He picked up the phone and listened to the man on the other side of the line. He listened carefully to what his friend was telling him and from his experience it was something he needed to solve soon. After a minute he dropped the call and walked back to where Julia was. She smiled at him and he said...

"I apologize, Julia, but I need to go."

"Did something serious happen?" she said worried...

"I'm not sure, yet...Well, I really want to continue our conversation but..."

"No, I completely understand."

He put his cell inside his pocket once again and said, while helping her up...

"What would you say if we meet for dinner tonight?"

"That's ok with me but are you going to make it? I'll always be here."

Lars thought about it for a second and said...

"You have a point...What about tomorrow evening? I have your cell number and I'll let you know of the place and time."

"That's more like it!"

He nodded and then he remembered, he was having her files...

"Oh! And here...These are your files."

She didn't take them back...

"I was planning to give it to you anyway. Keep it and we can talk about it more specifically if you already know what it is about."

"You're right! I'll go to check on Lee and Alisa."

Julia nodded and waved goodbye...

"I'll see you tomorrow."

With that he left and made his way back to where Lee was with Alisa...

 **Violet Systems, Laboratory...**

Alisa kept quiet while Lee was checking her system. Julia was right. Even though, he was weird in his public life, while in work, he was in his serious mode just like she described it. She smiled at this and wondered how Lars was doing. Lee on the other hand was pretty worried about Alisa's situation and that because he couldn't find something wrong in her system. But she was right. Her task wasn't deleted from her data and Alisa couldn't interfere in this part by deleting her own tasks. He was sure of that and Alisa told him herself. He placed his hand under his chin and thrown himself in his thoughts until he heard the door opening...

He turned and saw Lars walking inside. He sighed and Lars noticed his disappointed face. It was the first time Lee was giving him that kind of expression. He raised an eyebrow and said...

"What's wrong? Something with Alisa?"

Lee shook his head...

"No...There's nothing wrong with Alisa's system but indeed, her task of protecting Jin Kazama isn't deleted from her data and it's not part of her own intelligence to interfere in that. She told me herself and I found out by checking it."

Lars nodded and looked at Alisa, who was watching the two in silence...

"Then...What does this mean?"

Lee exhaled and said disconnecting Alisa's cables from the computers...

"That means, either that Alisa was created to only serve Jin Kazama or that he's still out there alive making fun of us."

Alisa hopped off the bed and stretched her fingers, which were all this time connected to the computers. Lars sighed disappointed and Lee said...

"What fits you better between these two?"

"N-None...I came here expecting one answer, not to find two. I don't know what to do now."

Lee touched his shoulder...

"I'm not worried about that. You're a trustworthy man, I know you can handle it perfectly."

"Thanks and that means that I can take Alisa with me?"

"Sure...Hey, did you talk with Julia?"

Lars shook negatively his head...

"No...I had a call from my lieutenant and I need to meet him. I asked her to meet me for dinner tomorrow."

He smiled...

"Oh! I see but, please, be a gentleman. I care deeply for Julia. I don't want her to be disappointed."

Lars rolled his eyes noticing where his brother was getting at and not giving another comment took Alisa's hand and they walked outside until Lee stopped them with his voice...

"Lars?"

He turned to face him...

"For a start, why don't you approach people Jin Kazama had interactions with?"

"Do you know people, who had interactions with that kind of man?'

He smiled...

"You're right, forgive me...Alisa?" he said turning to Alisa's side...

"Yes, Mr. Lee?" she said with an innocent smile...

"If you ever see Xiaoyu, please, give her my regards, ok?"

Alisa frowned saddened and Lee noticed that but didn't say anything. However, she nodded and bowed in front of him. After that both of them left Lee's company...


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **Tokyo, G-Corporation...**

Anna Williams was inside her office, with a glass of red wine in her hand, searching for Ling Xiaoyu's whereabouts. She cursed the time she spoke those words to Kazuya. She doubted any connection between her and Jin Kazama to that extend. Anyway, these were Kazuya's orders and she had to do as asked. She searched any file inside the computer, which might had any mention of her. Of course, she checked the information, she gave for her participation in the tournaments but all she saw was when she was living as a Mishima Zaibatsu ward and then at the Mishima Polytechnics' dormitories. She then checked her file the school was having of her. Her grades, information about her and then her punishment file. Anna smiled...Of course, it wasn't empty and she had quite a lot of adventures during her high school life. She then noticed that it wasn't only her name mentioned inside there but another girl's as well. No having another option she checked about that girl's information and she finished her wine with satisfaction when she reached her goal... _Found you!_

She stood up and walked out of her office. Suddenly, she bumped onto another woman and she sighed irritated. The young woman made some steps behind noticing Anna's disturbance and said...

"I'm sorry, Miss Anna...I..."

"Jane...Why are you here?" said Anna...

"I just wanted to ask you something. But if I'm taking your time then..."

She interrupted her...

"You're taking my time by not telling me what you want. Get to the point!"

Jane fixed her glasses above the bridge of her nose and said...

"Y-You're right...Why is the military surrounding the building?"

She sighed...

"You know that this is something that doesn't concern you. However, this happens because we don't want to risk getting intruders here. You get it?"

She lowered her head and said...

"Umm...yeah, I'm sorry for..."

She stopped. Before she could finish her sentence Anna had already left her behind...

"...disturbing you." With that she made her way back to the only place she wasn't feeling out of place in this cold by atmosphere building...

Anna, after leaving Jane behind, made her way inside Kazuya's office. She knocked on the door multiple times but there was no answer. Not having another option, she pressed the button and opened it. She found no one inside there and thought for a while about where he could be. She dismissed the thought of him going to rest because after making him this mad in the morning she believed that he wouldn't dismiss the thoughts he was having since then. She walked out of the office and made her way to the next place she was sure she would find him.

Kazuya was inside the dojo, which was built inside the company just for him. He practiced non-stop wanting to dismiss any disturbing thoughts, which troubled his mind. If what he was afraid of was true then he had to kill both mother and grandchild. He stopped for a while and with a towel he wiped the sweat from his torso. That time Anna knocked on his door with a smile on her face. Kazuya nodded and she let herself in...

"I have some news." She said with the same smile...

"I doubt that it is something worthy telling right now, since you were so fast about what I asked you to do."

She nodded...

"Of course. What I wanted to tell you is that, I'll be out in the morning."

"And why's that? Not that you needed to tell me."

"I have to track someone down. Not our target, unfortunately, but if she helps us, the girl is ours."

He stayed silent...He then turned and started walking out of the room...

"Next time, you'll come and find me...I want to see you with Ling Xiaoyu or else don't bother coming."

With that he left the dojo leaving her behind...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Lars' office...**

The door of the cold black office opened and a worried Lars along with Tougou and Nina Williams walked inside it. Lars sat on his seat taking off his jacket. Things weren't going as he expected. G-Corporation was miles ahead of them and if he wouldn't do something, this war was lost. When he met up with Tougou, his friend told him that G-Corp's army is almost two times bigger than their own. He never thought of using his own army's men. He believed that the Zaibatsu's army was enough. He was wrong. Except from that, they learnt that G-Corp's headquarters were surrounded by their military. The problem here was that Nina wouldn't be able to sneak inside easily. In her mind she was positive that she would make it but Lars said that he would reconsider that. She didn't say anything else. He was the boss, he was taking the decisions. He touched his forehead and thought about how Jin would react in a similar situation. He then realized that between Jin and Kazuya things were different. They didn't need guns and bloodshed to defeat each other. The corpse of the defeated one was enough to declare the winner. He smiled weakly. Nina looked at Tougou knowing that being Lars' best friend, he would know what to tell him...

"L-Lars..."

He raised his gaze to see his friend looking at him with concern...

"I'll be fine, Tougou. You don't need to worry about me."

"No! I'm not worried about you as my friend but as our Yggdrasil's leader. You used to give courage to our comrades. I delivered to you just some bad news but I never expected that reaction from you. We're not done, yet! You don't have to be so stubborn."

Lars stood up hitting with his hands his desk...

"And what do you want me to do?! Sacrifice our men's lives? I know each one's name. For me it's not just another fallen soldier. These men believed in me!"

Tougou sighed...

"It's just as you said…Have you ever wondered why these men...well, alongside me followed, you?"

Lars and Nina looked at him and he continued saying...

"You gave us hope with your optimism that if we succeed both our families and ourselves can return to our peaceful lives. If we didn't believe in you or be willing to sacrifice ourselves for our beliefs...Trust me...No one would come with you just to die. We didn't come because you were our friend but because we wanted this world you imagined to become reality. It was our dream as well."

"Tougou..."

He sighed...

"Pull yourself together, my friend...Our men want your encouragement. Give them that and we'll succeed."

Lars smiled at his friend. He started to see things clearly right now. His friend was right. Yggdrasil's soldiers weren't with him because they owed him but because they wanted to protect their families by themselves and he couldn't take that away from them because of his fears. He approached Tougou and placed his hand on his shoulder...

"I'm afraid...Back there, we almost lost you. I thought I lost my best friend."

Tougou removed Lars' hand from his shoulder irritated. He was still pissed from his behavior before. Then, looking at his eyes said...

"Same goes for me, then. Two years ago, I thought you were dead after that explosion but when you came back, I didn't stop you from fulfilling your task, even though you are my best friend."

With that Tougou bowed to Lars and turned to leave...

"If you need anything, call me." he then looked back to Nina... "Please, give him a beat-up to "wake" him up. He needs it."

She chuckled...

"With pleasure!"

Both Lars and Nina watched as Tougou walked out of the office. Lars sighed, once again, and sat on his seat. Nina approached him and sat on the edge of the desk. She looked at him, who was just sitting there doing nothing but not wanting to lose any valuable time she said...

"What about me? Am I making my move on them or what?"

Lars looked at her and said...

"Their military is all over the place. It's not that I don't trust you but you better don't go."

"I can make it through" she said standing up...

"Thanks for reassuring me but I'm not taking the risk to get you hurt. You're dismissed."

She nodded and started to walk at the door...

"Are you sure, you're not going to change your mind? I still have time."

"I'm sure..."

"As you wish but you should know something. If you don't take any risks, you have already lost the war."

Lars didn't answer back and watched her as she left his office. The problem was always in his mind and the guilt he would have if any of his men was killed. If he would manage to get over that, the issue of the small military units in contrasts to G-Corporation's would be completely solved. And of course, Nina was right. A war couldn't be won with no taking any risks. He guessed that Jin acted in the same way. All of a sudden, he took out his cellphone and gave Tougou a call...

"Tougou...Yeah, it's me...Listen, tomorrow, come here in the morning, because I need to talk to you...You will know tomorrow. I thought what you talked to me about and I realized that you were right. I need to pull it together...Have a nice rest...Thanks, see you."

Lars then stood up and made his way to Nina's room. The man suggested her to prepare an apartment for her but she said that there was no need. She only needed a bed, a closet, a bathroom and a big drawer to place her weapons inside. So, she said that a room like the Mishima Zaibatsu was having inside the Headquarters would do. Lars was doing the same thing this last year. He took the elevator to the top floor and walked outside of it. Soon enough he was out of her room. He knocked on the door and she opened it for him...

"It's not like you at all, coming here at this hour. What happened?" she said...

He walked inside and Nina closed the door...

"We need more people."

"Oh really? What a surprise?" she said ironically...

"I know of the Zaibatsu's military units outside Osaka in which the soldiers are still in training, right?"

"You mean these units we rebuilt after Kazuya exploded them with the people inside them?"

He nodded...

"Yeah...Even though back then, everyone thought that the Zaibatsu was the one responsible."

"At least, let's just say that since they trust you, this accusation went to G-Corp."

"Indeed and anyway, yeah, Jin Kazama did some awful things but he wouldn't bombard his own army...Whatever, let's go back to the main thing. I searched that we have a really big amount of men there."

She raised an eyebrow...

"You don't mean to use these men, do you?"

Lars gave her a smile...

"Weren't you the one giving me advice like "If we don't take risks, the war is lost"?"

"Sure, sure...But if we use them, someone experienced must train them for us to not lose time. Both you and Tougou don't have time for this. Who is going to do it?" she said crossing her arms...

"Here is where I need your help." He said touching her shoulder...

"You don't mean for me to do the training, do you?" she asked...

He released her and said putting his hands inside his pockets...

"No...You're too beautiful for a job like that. However, I want you to find someone certain for this job and bring him to me."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously...

Lars smiled and said looking at the ceiling...

"You know, two years ago, the Resistance caused me some trouble. I noticed that the leader was quite talented."

She sighed...

"You mean "that guy"?"

He nodded...

"Alisa told me back then about him. He has exactly what I need. He's trained in the Korean army, has values of a leader and determination. All I need for these units to be ready for use, when I'll need them."

"Lars, he's not an easy person to deal with. And I'm sure that he's not going to give you his help that easily. He's very stubborn." She said knowing what type of a hot-headed man he was...

"Well, then...I've already guessed so and that's why I want you to bring him here. Can I trust you in that?"

She nodded...

"Fine, I'll do it! But where am I supposed to find him?"

Lars turned to leave and said...

"You're my right hand...Surprise me by bringing him here as soon as you can, ok? Have a nice rest, Miss Williams. I'm going to do the same."

Nina sighed and watched as Lars walked outside the room...

 **Next day, Morning…**

 **Tokyo, in a neighbourhood of the suburbs close to downtown...**

The next day, as Anna planned to do, she didn't go to the headquarters. Having two soldiers from the company's military she was now outside the house of her target's friend. She was dressed as casually as she could. The man on the front seat told her that this was the house and Anna smiled. The other one, who was driving said turning to face her...

"Ma'am, are we intruding?"

She shook her head...

"Not yet, I'll need some more information for both girls, first."

She opened the door and said before closing it back...

"You go somewhere close. Try to be as discreet as possible. Do not attract attention. When I'll need you, I'll call you."

They nodded and then she closed the door. The car left and Anna looked around her...

 _So, there are places like that even here...Amazing..._

That's what she thought, when she took a better look of the place. Whenever, she was in Tokyo, she didn't have time to explore the city. Suddenly, she turned her head and noticed a middle aged woman walking at her place holding two plastic bags at each of her hands. When she was close to her, Anna stopped her grabbing gently her arm. The woman confused looked at her and said...

"Can I help you with something, Miss?"

Anna smiled and released her...

"I would be delighted if you were willing to help me."

She then looked at the house once again and said...

"Do you know where this house belongs to?"

The woman nodded...

"Sure, I do."

"Do you know about the owners?"

She didn't say anything and just looked at Anna. She, on the other hand, opened her purse and took out an amount of cash, she was having inside. She showed them to the woman and said...

"You didn't tell me?"

The woman smiled looking at the money and said...

"Follow me."

Anna smirked and followed the woman...

The woman led her to the entrance of her own house. She unlocked the door and asked from Anna to walk inside first. When she did, she looked around the house with an uninterested expression... _Typical commoners_...She thought. The woman placed her bags on the floor after closing the door behind her and then she said...

"Miss, please have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

Anna shook her head after taking a seat...

"I'll decline because I'm in a hurry. Will you, please, tell me now? Everything, if you can?"

The woman nodded and took a seat opposite her...

"What do you want to know?"

"Like I said before...Everything!"

The woman swallowed hard. She could sense something mysterious and in the same time dangerous coming from that woman but the money she offered her were quite a lot...

"Since I came to live here with my husband, next to us was living a couple, the Hiranos, with their daughter...They were nice people and hard working. The girl was a little naughty but she was a nice child...Umm...Ten years later, the husband got a promotion and decided to go with his family back to Hokkaido, where he was sent, I mean. However, the girl didn't want to leave...I don't know the reason for this...I'm sorry...Well, where was I? Oh, I remembered. They let her stay here and the parents left on their own...Some days later, Miharu-chan...I mean the daughter...brought a friend to stay with her. She was a very kind girl, as well. Her name was Ling...ermm...I don't remember her given name, it was a Chinese one."

Anna smiled at this part and when the woman saw her she stopped. Her smile disappeared and said...

"Continue!"

The middle aged woman nodded...

"The Chinese girl stayed here for about a year. She left two years ago...I think it was around after the war ended."

Anna's eyes widened...

"Do you know where that girl is now?"

The woman shook her head and watched as Anna stood up. She gave her the money and before she walked outside, she said...

"Make sure to remember that this meeting never happened...For your own good!"

The woman nodded frightened and watched her leaving the house. She sighed in relief and proceeded to close the door, Anna left open...

Anna walked outside the house kind of angry. She took out a cellphone and called the soldiers. In five minutes they were already in front of her. They walked outside the car as Anna asked them to do and walked behind her as she made her way to Miharu Hirano's house. She took off her glasses and knocked on the door multiple times. A minute later, a short, auburn haired girl appeared in front of them after opening the door. Her eyes widened. Not because she knew of Anna but because they were completely unknown to her. She managed to say...

"C-Can I help you with something? Please tell me."

"Will you let us in?"

Her eyes widened when she saw the two men pointing their guns at her...

"And no one will get hurt." Said Anna completing her sentence...

She took a few steps back and both Anna and the soldiers helped themselves in. One of them closed the door. Anna smiled watching her scared face. She walked towards her and said cupping her face...

"You have nothing to be afraid of, if you'll be honest with me."

"What do you want to know? But why me? What do I know of being some use to you? And who are you?"

Anna pushed her on the couch. She looked back at one of the soldiers and took the one's gun. She, then, sat next to Miharu and placed the gun on her head...

"We have a common friend, you know, who I really miss. I want to see her once again and since she used to live here, you must know where she's gone, right?"

Miharu thought for a while. She was now certain that she was talking about Xiaoyu. But what was her busyness with her? Could it be that woman, the reason why she left?

"What do you have to do with Xiao? What did she do?"

Anna smiled...

"That's what I want to find out myself. But don't worry, the only thing I want from you to tell me is where she is."

"I don't know!" said Miharu closing her eyes after feeling the gun closer to her head...

"You know, I don't have much patience today. If you be honest both you and your family in Hokkaido will be safe."

"How do you know of my family?" she said turning to look at her...

"It doesn't matter...Tell me where is she?"

"Do not dare to hurt them!"

Anna giggled and never answered to her...

Miharu made her hands in fists and said feeling tears falling from her eyes...

"I really don't know...S-She one day said that she needed to leave. She said that she will be calling me and she did. That was the only kind of communication, I had with her. She was the one calling me and it would be like one time in a month. She barely said something about herself, she was only asking about my wellbeing...Xiao was calling from multiple numbers, which weren't visible on my phone. Indeed, she said that in this way we would be both safer."

Anna stood up, making Miharu relax a little. She sat on the opposite couch after giving the gun back to the soldier. She said once again...

"Did she ever mention Jin Kazama's name in any conversation you had with her?"

Miharu frowned...Of course, it was about that guy. Even dead, his name is torturing her friend. She shook her head...

"No...During the war, Xiao joined the tournament to stop him...I remember I told her that she was just placing herself in danger but she didn't listen. Even though, Jin died, she didn't cry. That was what worried me. Jin was really important to her and she never shed tears for his death. It surprised me...After that, some days later she left and never mentioned him again."

Anna nodded. Could it be that what she joked about was true? Kazuya wasn't going to like the news. She looked back at the girl and said...

"Before she left...Did you notice anything different in her? Anything..."

"What are you going to do to Xiao?" she said scared...

Anna approached her once again and said...

"Don't worry, we're not going to kill her. We only need some information from her. And because I know that you're lying, tell me, where she is."

Miharu stood up...

"I'm telling you the truth...I- I d-don't know. The only thing she said in the last phone call she gave me, was that she was going to come and see me for a while one of these days."

She smirked...That girl in front of her was honestly completely stupid...

"When did that phone call happen?"

She dropped her shoulders knowing that she just ruined everything and said...

"O-One week ago..."

She nodded. Maybe they would have to wait a little but the girl was going to come to them by herself...

"Now tell me, does this have to do with Jin? Xiao knows nothing! Leave her alone!"

Not listening to what the girl was yelling about, Anna motioned something to the soldier on her left. He nodded and walked behind the girl. Miharu seeing him stopped talking but she didn't manage to react after feeling the soldier hitting her with his gun behind her head...After that she passed out...

"Ma'am, are we going?"

Anna looked at the girl lying on the floor. She, then, took out of her purse her red lipstick and wrote a message on the mirror in front of her for the girl's visitor. After doing that she turned to face the soldier, who talked to her and said...

"Sure, we will but before that, we're going to take a guest back with us."

She turned to leave and before that she said...

"Tie her up and bring her to the car. Make sure that no one notices you. _And even if they do, there's no way they could do something about it._ "

The soldiers bowed to her and proceeded to do as asked...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters...**

Lars Alexandersson didn't have a good night's sleep yesterday. No wonder, on the other hand. He didn't stand up from his bed till some minutes ago. Even though he was tired, he couldn't sleep. He walked out of the bathroom, after shaving his face and took a shower to wake himself up. He dressed and made his way to his office. He opened the door and saw Tougou standing by the window waiting for him...

"You're late." Said Tougou not looking back at him...

Lars smiled and approached him...

"I overslept. My apologies."

"Liar!" said Tougou turning to face him... "Wasn't that your usual excuse, whenever you were late for practice?"

He chuckled remembering where his friend was referring to. It was true that he wasn't the most responsible person, back then, when it was coming to time. He sat on his seat and asked from his friend and old co-troublemaker to sit opposite him. Tougou did as Lars asked him and sat on the chair. He looked around him and said...

"Where's Nina?"

Lars took off his jacket and said...

"I asked something from her and I think she started her research."

"Whatever, what did you want to ask me?"

"I was wondering...If we use Yggdrasil's army, the Zaibatsu's and the ones we have in Osaka...Can we oppose Kazuya's army?"

Tougou sighed...

"Before I comment on what you just blurted out, I'll answer you and I'll say "yes"."

Lars smiled satisfied and then he heard him saying again...

"Lars...You don't mean to use that army. The soldiers are not in the level of being able to stand a war like this."

"Trust me, Tougou."

The man stayed silent. It wasn't a matter of trust. It wasn't his decision, anyway. Lars was the boss but still…

He looked for a moment at the floor and then back to Lars, who noticed his doubts but decided to not say anything. He shook his head and after doing that he nodded at him…

"It's your decision, Lars. So, tell me. How can I be useful?"

"I want you to prepare a team and abuse G-Corporation's Millennium Tower. Easy, right?"

Tougou felt his throat getting sore. He had bad memories from there… "Lars, this place…"

"I know…I'm not sending you, of course." Said Lars remembering his friend's pain and how desperate he was, as he was thinking that he might be seeing Tougou for the last time. Every time he would think of that, he remembered that he still owed Raven a lot…

"I just want you to be in contact with them. Send the one you trust the most…After me, I mean…Hehe"

Tougou wasn't in the mood to comment on his friend's joke since he could still feel a slight pain in the area, where he was shot. And he always had as reminiscence, the scar it left behind. In the end, he nodded and said…

"When do you want to start?"

"Start preparing them now and wait for my signal. I'm thinking about early in the evening. What do you say?"

"What can I say? Anyway, consider it done. Is there anything else?"

Lars shook his head negatively… "No…I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Sure. I'll keep you informed about tonight" Tougou bowed and left Lars' office...

 **Violet Systems...**

Everyone was busy inside Lee Chaolan's company, except him of course. However, according to him, pleasuring women was something that couldn't be done by anyone. After Lars' request, Lee started the manufacture of his new Combot model to aid him that way. On the other hand, it wasn't like he was doing it just for his little brother's sake. Kazuya's destruction was something he wanted to see more than anyone...

He walked outside the bathroom having by his side an ethereal female existence. He kissed her once more and after that she dressed herself and waved goodbye at him. While she was opening the door, his secretary walked inside closing the door behind her. Before she was ready to talk, her gaze fell on her boss' naked body. Feeling herself flustered she looked at the floor and said...

"Sir, are you ready?"

Lee looked at her and noticed her flustered face. He smiled and said jokingly...

"Are you?"

The woman raised an eyebrow confused...

"About what?"

"Won't you join me?"

She gritted her teeth in anger knowing where he was referring to and said...

"Mr. President! I t-think you had enough fun, at least for now. Shouldn't you dress up and go to your office? Miss Chang's waiting for you."

Lee opened his closet and chose one of the suits he was having here...

"She's already here? What a waste?"

"Sir?!" she said angrily...

Lee sighed...

"Fine, fine...I'll dress up and go meet her."

The secretary bowed to him and said before leaving...

"Good! I'll prepare some coffee for you."

Lee just nodded to himself and heard the door closing...

Julia was inside Lee's main office seating on the chair opposite his office. The secretary had already served her some coffee and while waiting for Lee, she had already finished it. She didn't know what to do by being here alone. She planned to tell Lars everything she knew about the investigation in the Middle East and then go back to Arizona. Of course, she wanted to stay but it wasn't the time for her to pursue a love story and who knows if Lars would be interested in her. That left her with spending time helping Lee in his company. At least she was preoccupying herself with something useful...

Ten minutes later, the door of the office opened and Lee walked inside with his trademark flirty smile in which Julia mentally rolled her eyes. It never worked on her, maybe on her mother, but never on her. Julia wanting to be polite smiled as well and said...

"Good morning, Mr. Chaolan."

Lee walked to his office and sat on his seat...

"Good morning, Julia! You're early, you must be really bored, isn't that right?" he asked...

Julia smiled. Was she that obvious? She scratched the back of her head and said...

"Well...I wasn't planning on staying but since Lars didn't have time yesterday, I..."

Lee interrupted her and said...

"Why don't you work here with me?"

Her eyes widened. How was she supposed to help him?

"How am I supposed to help you, Mr. Chaolan?"

Lee smiled. He had already found out how interested Julia was in his brother and he decided to help her by giving her the chance to approach him and get to know him better. However, he didn't have a clue if Lars was interested in her in that way and he wasn't planning on asking him. If it was for something to happen, it would work out by itself...

"Your company is enough. You can even stay in one of the rooms here, since I guess that you'll refuse my invitation of staying with me in my mansion."

"You guessed right."

Both Julia and Lee laughed at this. After that he sipped some of his coffee and said...

"Well, Lars said that you two are going to meet tonight."

Julia nodded...

"Yeah, that's right! If what I know about this tomb is valid then Kazuya must be leading the war there because of that."

"You mean that he knows?"

She crossed her legs and said cleaning her glasses with a handkerchief...

"I'm positive...No, I could say that I'm sure."

He nodded. For a while he threw himself in his thoughts but Julia said again gaining his attention...

"What happened with Alisa? Was she right?"

"For an unknown reason, I believe that Jin Kazama is still alive."

"Alive?!" she said with widened eyes... "How so? She was right?"

Lee looked at her and started telling her what the computers showed him. After listening to that, Julia agreed with what Lee told her but both decided to let things happen on their own. Even if they would have told Lars about it, it was true that he couldn't do anything if Jin wouldn't make his appearance...

"And in the end, what did you suggest them to do?"

"Search for people, who were close to him."

Julia sighed desperately knowing why he said that...

"I would say the same as you but isn't it unfair to put that girl in danger? Wasn't she dragged enough already in this?"

"It's not like Lars is going to kill her. You know how he is." He said trying to reassure her...

"I know how Lars is but we both know how Kazuya is as well. If he finds out that Lars might be searching for her, he will pursue her himself and not just to take information from her."

Lee frowned and nodded thinking that Julia was right...

"Then, let's hope that neither of them finds her."

 **We will meet two other characters joining the cast in the next chapter. I guess, you've already figured out who one of them is. The other one has been mentioned a lot of times.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **Mishima Estate...**

There was only one person being traumatized by the death of her beloved friend. She couldn't believe that they didn't have the chance to say a proper goodbye. When she learnt the news of his death, she didn't cry. She knew that Miharu was surprised and in the same time worried by that, since she was aware of the feelings she was trying to deny even to herself, insisting that it was only friendship and admiration towards him. But then why did she pursue him after finding out that he changed to be like his ancestors? Was it because she couldn't accept "that" Jin in front of her and was stuck in the past? Was it because she wanted to bring him back to her, hoping that he will be again the kind, sweet Jin she met and eventually get together with her?

These were the thoughts she had two years ago. Some days after the news of Jin's death arrived in her ears, she gathered some of her things and left Miharu and the house she was leaving with her alongside her pet, Panda. Miharu tried to hold her back but Xiaoyu had already taken her decision. She said that she needed to leave and her friend sensing the reason why, didn't stop her this time. The only thing she asked is to let her know if she was safe. Xiaoyu smiled back then and nodded at her friend. Even though, Miharu was devastated by her friend leaving, she was satisfied enough seeing her smiling face while they waved goodbye. If by leaving she could forget about him, then she had no complaints...

On the other hand, Xiaoyu never explained her reasons about leaving to her friend by herself. She let her make her own guesses. It was true that she felt like "her" world came to an end after the news concerning Jin's death but she quickly managed to snap out of it. She was determent. She wouldn't mourn over an invisible body. Xiaoyu made her decision. She wouldn't accept his death if she wouldn't see his body with her own eyes. She knew that in that way, she continued torturing her soul but her stubbornness was a feeling deeper than any other this time. She never told anyone. Not even Miharu or Panda. She had met with Jin some days before he left from Tokyo. She was so happy when he asked her to meet with each other. She thought that maybe this was her last chance to reason with him...

In the end, she failed once again. She was surprised when she saw him standing on the roof of the building they were supposed to meet each other. She saw him being dressed ready for battle. But the most important thing was the words he spoke to her...

 _Xiaoyu walked with quick steps next to him. She reached for his hands but Jin backed away. She raised an eyebrow. What was with that strange behavior? Why did he keep being silent? He was the one wanting to see her. She didn't bother saying anything else. She let him do what he wanted. She thought that he didn't ask her to come just for nothing. He wouldn't risk being eyed by someone without wanting to. Suddenly, he made eye contact with her. She was taken aback by this look on his eyes. In the past, he never had such a gaze in his eyes, at least in front of her. But sure...as she thought inside her mind, all these belonged to the past._

" _Come!" she heard him saying..._

 _Her eyes widened when she saw him taking his fighting stance. What should she do now? Do the same? What was the point?_

" _J-Jin...Why are..."_

 _He interrupted her..._

" _Shut up!"_

 _She swallowed hard. It was her first time hearing him talking like this to her. She understood what she needed to do and what was what he was trying to do with this action. He wanted to show her something. Little by little she started bending her knees and then placed her body in her fighting stance. Jin never took his pressuring gaze from her..._

" _Just...Fight me!"_

 _She closed her eyes for a moment. That was it! Ok, then...As you wish, Jin..._

 _Xiaoyu opened her eyes and ran to Jin with him doing the same..._

 _The fight lasted long enough but only for Xiaoyu. Of course, she wasn't prepared to face him. Both physically and mentally...She fell on the floor and touched her stomach feeling the pain. She still hoped that he would approach her to check if she was ok or not. She saw him as he stayed there looking bluntly at her without making any other moves. Seeing him like that made her think that there was no hope anymore. She should leave and let everything take its way? No! That was not like her! She gathered her strength and stood up..._

" _You're weak" he said angering her this time..._

 _She made her hands in fists and said..._

" _Maybe, I seem that way...Because you know, I was expecting us to have a normal talk and not to fight."_

" _A talk? That would be just a loss of time, since even by talking to you, you wouldn't understand."_

 _She sulked..._

" _Now you're saying that except from weak, I'm also stupid?"_

 _Jin sighed and looked at the floor. She crossed her arms irritated with his tactless behavior. Suddenly, Jin looked at her again and said..._

" _You would pretend you don't understand and even if that was not the case, there wasn't a meaning in reasoning with you with words"_

" _So, you preferred to hurt me, instead." she said disappointed..._

 _Jin didn't answer back. Of course that wasn't his intention but by causing her a few bruises, he would avoid her mental ones. Xiaoyu smiled in his silence. What did I have to understand, Jin that I can only by you beating me up?_

" _Why did you do this to me?"_

" _I wanted to show you that until you defeat me, we can't be together."_

 _A frown appeared above her eyes. She knew that already. She didn't need him to point it out. She, unfortunately, knew..._

" _I...I knew that...You showed it multiple times by refusing to see me, Jin. If that was all you needed to tell me, then, I guess that's it."_

 _He stayed silent again. It didn't surprise her. Even in the past when she was with him, because of his quietness, she seemed always as a bubbly, irritating girl..._

 _She sighed..._

" _I have a request."_

 _He raised an eyebrow. It was the first time his expression changed that day._

" _And what this might be?"_

 _Xiaoyu smiled confidently this time, something that confused him..._

" _I want a rematch...You said that if I can defeat you, we can be like the old days...I promise, Jin! I'll train hard and I will definitely make you mine...Uh...I-I mean, I will definitely defeat you."_

 _Jin watched her while she was speaking these words in confidence. He found her amazing, being able to cheer up in a flash. He found no reason to stop her because he had other plans, where she couldn't interfere. He turned his gaze as to make eye contact with her and said..._

" _Agreed!"_

 _Even though he said it retaining his poker face, Xiaoyu felt happy. She watched him as he started walking to her side. He passed through her to leave but she stopped him with her voice..._

" _Just wait a minute! You'll leave, I won't stop you. I won't risk getting my adorable face bruised, if you beat me up again."_

 _Jin wanted to laugh at this. She still had the spirit to humor this kind of situation. He stayed still and heard her saying..._

" _Please, do your best! I know you had a reason for doing what you did. Complete your duty but try to be safe."_

 _He sighed..._

" _Is that all you needed to say?"_

 _She gritted her teeth..._

" _You're irritating me!"_

 _Jin smiled to himself and walked to the door wanting to leave the rooftop. He opened the door but he stopped when he heard her sniffling. Xiaoyu thought that he left and that she was free to cry now. She started wiping her tears until she heard a voice. Jin didn't walk back to her even if he wanted to. However, he said..._

" _You...You need to do your best, if you wish to defeat me as you said."_

 _She was surprised when she heard him. She smiled and said..._

" _Yes!"_

 _Jin disappeared from in front of her and Xiaoyu, after wiping her last tear, smirked… "You're not as smart as you think, Kazama Jin." She said to herself as she knew that the man she loved was certain that she couldn't interfere with his plans… "I know you better than you know yourself!"…_

 _That night she decided that these were the last tears she would shed for Jin, until she sees him again…_

After remembering these words, Xiaoyu decided that she should keep the promise she made to Jin even by herself. She was going to train for as long as it took her to be able to fight at his pace and defeat him. And then she left for the place where everything began. Where she knew that she would be able to train as she wishes and with the appropriate tutor. She hopped on Panda's back and they made their way there. The journey was kind of exhausting for both her and Panda, however, that didn't discourage her. When, they arrived her eyes looked all over the house. That brought back memories, even though it wasn't for a long time when they stayed here. She saw some men dressed in black walking around. She expected something like that and without losing time she moved to ask them if she could see him. She waited for some minutes until the same man came and told her that she was free to go inside. She wasn't surprised by this, he didn't have any reason to refuse seeing her, anyway...

Heihachi Mishima accepted to see her without knowing what she would possibly want. She was Xiaoyu and everything is possible with her. When a bodyguard of his came to inform him of her presence, he thought about it for a while and he assumed that it wouldn't be a big fact letting her inside. Also, it was known that since he brought her to Japan with him, he was her guardian...

When she met him, Xiaoyu bowed to him in respect. He patted her head and asked her to share some tea with him. She accepted. She talked to him about what she wanted from him. He raised an eyebrow when he heard her saying that she wanted him to train her. Why would she ask him something like this? This girl cared only about trivial things and her laughable dream of wanting an amusement park. However, he had to admit that she was from the most passionate people he had ever met. And that was the reason why he brought her with him, he thought that a girl with a spirit like hers shouldn't go to waste. He educated her and tutored her along with Jin. He couldn't believe that such a bright person as Xiaoyu could find interesting this boring grandson of his...

After thinking about it, he decided to take her in once again. He thought that she could maybe lead him to Jin, if he would find out that he was alive. He knew that his grandson wouldn't let her stay with him. In these two years, he trained her and in the same time taught her some moves of the Mishima Style Karate a petite girl as her could handle. He was amazed when he witnessed the fighting moves being mastered by her. Something might have happened inside that head of hers. He was sure about that but he didn't know what and Xiaoyu was surprisingly self-conscious around him unlike the old days...

Heihachi was training in the yards of the Mishima Estate. It was everyday like that after Xiaoyu arrived, a somehow peaceful life. He had to show her that he didn't have any plans up his sleeve, even though he did. After learning that his two sons were going to fight each other once again, he smiled evilly. Everything was going to be easy, since Jin was out of the picture. Doubts that Xiaoyu's appearance before him made him believe that Jin might still be alive disappeared, since he investigated the place where he was the last time seen. About his two sons, he was going to let them destroy each other and then he would come out of nowhere to claim the Zaibatsu. But then other thoughts entered his mind. Kazuya wasn't so much interested in the Zaibatsu as he used to be. He preferred to have the devil's power back than anything else. But with Jin's death that was supposed to happen. Heihachi didn't bother thinking about that right now but on the other hand, he decided to make sure that Kazuya was the defeated one, by joining forces with his younger son, for the time being. When, he would make sure, Kazuya was out of the way, he was the next one being destroyed, even though he admitted that Lars had the potential of the Mishima Zaibatsu's leader...

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a sharp pain on his lower back. He frowned and rubbed the spot with his hand. Suddenly, he heard a girl's voice...

"Grandpa!?" Said Xiaoyu running to his side...

Heihachi looked at her and noticed the worried look on her face...

"Are you ok?" she said trying to see where he was hurt...

"I'm ok...You don't have to worry."

She sighed in relief and said crossing her arms...

"You shouldn't get so worked up during fighting. How many times am I supposed to tell you?"

"I wasn't fighting, child...I was just practicing."

"That's even worse!"

He touched her shoulder and said...

"I told you I'm fine. I'm not going to die that easily."

She rolled her eyes and said sarcastically to him...

"Yeah, you have already proved yourself."

Heihachi laughed loudly with Xiaoyu having to close her ears. She sighed and said...

"Would you maybe want something to ease your pain?"

He shook his head...

"No...I said I'm not hurt. And now you, you weren't in your best shape, yesterday. Why is that?" he asked...

"I was feeling a little unwell…I mean I'm a woman, you know. I'm fine now."

He crossed his arms and said...

"Good to hear that because your practice will become harder from now on."

Xiaoyu nodded. She then smiled at him and said...

"Anyway, since you're not hurt. Would you like some tea?"

He looked around him and then spotted a dressed in black man standing behind Xiaoyu. It was one of his spies. He looked back at her and said...

"Sure! Go prepare some and we'll share it together, alright?"

"Ok, I'm going!"

Heihachi nodded and watched as she walked back inside the house. He, then, turned and faced the man, who bowed to him. The man approached him further after that and Heihachi said...

"Say it!"

The man nodded...

"Sir, both Kazuya Mishima and Lars Alexandersson have started gathering their armies."

"What happens with our own?"

The man feared Heihachi's reaction. He swallowed hard and said...

"It doesn't match theirs. We're much more less."

He sighed...

"I knew that already." "Things are changed now and I need to take action."

"But, sir, we can't do that with our own power alone."

He turned his back at him...

"I got rid of Jin and now I must do the same with Kazuya. And, of course, I'll need my dear bastard son's help for that to happen."

The man didn't say anything. He knew that he was referring to Lars. Heihachi turned to face him and said...

"Deliver a message to Alexandersson and tell him that if he wants something that may lead him to Jin, he has to come and claim it."

"You mean...Miss Ling. Sir, are you positive that he'll come?"

"He's not stupid. He'll know that it's a trap but he wouldn't take the risk of letting Kazuya find out first. He knows that his brother might be still searching for the other half of the devil gene, if we make him believe that his son is alive, and of course he'll want to stop him. I think you get it now. Go!"

After that the man left and Heihachi looked at the entrance of the house, when he heard Xiaoyu calling him. He watched her as she sat on the ground and started serving it. He approached her and sat opposite her. Xiaoyu smiled to him and gave him his share. He thanked her and took it in his hands...

"I hope you like it!"

"Of course, I'm going to like it, child, since you made it." He said making her giggle...

She had a sip from her tea and then said after setting it on the ground...

"Thank you, grandpa!"

Heihachi looked at her and raised an eyebrow...

"Why?"

"For taking me with you here when I asked for your help."

He sighed and looked at her...

"Weren't I supposed to be your guardian after bringing you with me here from China?"

Xiaoyu nodded and watched him sipping some of his tea...

"As you see, I had to take you."

She felt somehow irritated and crossed her arms...

"You mean you did it out of responsibility?"

Xiaoyu's annoyed face made him laugh. He touched her shoulder and said wanting to calm her down...

"Of course not, child. I was joking before and you know it. Didn't I tell you?"

She just looked at him. What did he tell her? She couldn't think of anything...

"Everything I have will become yours. You are the only one worthy of being my heir."

Xiaoyu frowned. Even though, that surprised her, she knew that of course it wasn't true and he didn't mean it. He didn't do what he did with both Jin and Kazuya just to let an outsider to inherit all these. And, she also knew that Jin would be the ideal heir. The one, who could truly bring the Zaibatsu back to the way it was. She always believed that. Until, Jin destroyed this fantasy of hers. Both hers and her grandfather's hopes were passed to Lars Alexandersson's shoulders. Heihachi noticed her silence, something, he found weird coming from her. However, after some minutes he heard her saying...

"You're flattering me. But you always knew that a lousy, uninteresting company wasn't my dream."

"So?"

Xiaoyu frowned and decided to escape her previous thoughts...

"Don't play it like you don't understand, old man! The only thing I asked from you was a damned amusement park."

"Stop cursing, child..." he said finishing his tea...

She crossed her arms...

"Fine"

He looked at her and said...

"You mentioned something of you visiting your friend in Tokyo, right? When is that?"

Xiaoyu smiled remembering that she was going to see Miharu once again and said...

"Tomorrow"

"I see you're really excited."

She nodded...

"Sure, I do! It's been two years since I last saw her."

Heihachi nodded at her and stood up...

"Well, then...Have fun but make sure you're careful, ok?"

Xiaoyu nodded and stood up. She bowed and said...

"I will! You didn't teach me these Mishima things just for nothing, right?"

Heihachi smiled at her and after that he started walking inside the house leaving her behind. Xiaoyu brought her eyes looking at the sky. The sun was setting little by little but it was still warm. Panda approached Xiaoyu after finding out that Heihachi left. It was true that she didn't trust him anymore and she was at ease knowing that Xiaoyu, even though she wanted his well being, shared her feelings. Panda rubbed her head on Xiaoyu's leg and the girl looked at her. She smiled and said patting her furry head...

"It's been a while seeing such a beautiful sky, right Panda?"

Panda licked her fingers making her giggle...

"Maybe, you'll laugh at me but...I have a feeling that in the end everything will be fine."

She then turned to Panda and said jokingly...

"What is your animal instinct tell you?"

Panda looked at the sky and then to Xiaoyu with a bright look in her eyes, something that made her mistress smile in relief...

 **Evening, in a high-class restaurant outside Tokyo...**

Lars Alexandersson was inside a restaurant outside Tokyo reserved just for him and Julia. Lee managed to make this reservation since he was having the majority of his parties there. But that wasn't the reason. The owner of the restaurant, oh well, she was a really close friend of Lee's. It was his first time coming to a place like this. It was true that Lee had a nice taste but when Lars took a better look around the décor, he noticed that his brother was once again involved, making fun of him. No one asked him to play it the Cupid. Before he came here, he spent an hour in front of his mirror trying to style his hair. Everyone wondered how long it took him to make his everyday hairstyle and when he was telling them that this is how normal his hair is no one believed him. He brushed it a million times to set it down but in the end the only thing he managed to do, of course with Alisa's help, was a low small, thin ponytail in the back of his head with his front longer locks falling at each side of his head. He didn't want to be recognizable since he was being in the headlines this last year...

He ordered for a drink while waiting for Julia. However, he didn't wait long. Lee told him that maybe she would be late trying to be beautiful for him. Lars, of course, didn't pay him any attention. Who knows maybe his brother's unreasonable thoughts of Julia liking him were false in the end, even though he noticed her looking at him in a unique way. You can never know with a woman. On the other hand, if that was the case and she wasn't interested that would hurt him in a way. Well, he would feel that his pride as a man would be somehow crushed and everything would be Lee's fault...

Julia walked inside the restaurant and looked around her. She saw the place being empty. Did she come to the wrong place? But she gave the address to the taxi driver being written in Japanese by Lee. She walked further inside and then noticed Lars waving his hand at her. At first she didn't recognized him because of his hair but after walking there, she noticed his face...

Lars stood up and approached her. She smiled and said...

"Good evening!"

He lowered his body and kissed her hand. He brought her into a difficult situation. It was the first time someone, except from Lee when he was fooling around as always, doing this kind of gesture to her...

"Good evening...You look wonderful...I mean as always of course."

Lars left her hand and heard her saying...

"Well, thanks...You look handsome, as well...I mean, letting your hair in their normal state...Looks good on you!"

He laughed lightly and Julia raised an eyebrow at this. Did she say anything funny? Maybe, he noticed her nervousness? She doubted that. She was proud of herself being able to hide her embarrassment when she was wanted to...

"Normal!? Do you know how many hours it took me to have them placed down?"

Julia's eyes widened...

"You mean that your normal hairstyle is your Mishima trademark one?"

Lars smiled at her surprised face and nodded...

"Uh...yeah...Why do you seem surprised?" he asked like he didn't know...

She shrugged her shoulders...

"I...I don't know. I mean, I always thought that this hairstyle was a family fetish."

"Hehe...I wouldn't blame you."

Julia smiled at him and watched him as he pulled out the chair for her to sit...

"Here...Have a seat."

She sat on the chair and thanked him with her gentle voice as she saw him sitting on his own...

While eating they talked about trivial things like, what was each other's hobby? Favorite movies...Here, Julia had a lot to say since she enjoyed going to the cinema with her mother and even by herself. It was, also, true that she possessed a big collection of movies at home. She started talking about everything even mentioning her favorite director. However, she stopped when she noticed that she was the only one talking and Lars was left with an opened mouth. She destroyed everything with her chattering...

"Lars, why didn't you stop me? I'm becoming really excruciating, when I'm talking about things I like." She said with a frown...

He smiled and said reassuring her...

"You don't have to worry. Actually, I was amazed."

She raised an eyebrow and said...

"A-Amazed?"

He nodded...

"Yes! Even though, you're yourself very busy, you still try to find time to do things you enjoy. I wish I could do that but if it's me I would choose more casual ways of entertainment."

"What do you mean?"

Lars smiled weakly and then, Julia finding out what he meant blushed feverishly...

"I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable...I really am!"

Julia waved her hands. It wasn't like she found it unacceptable after all he was a man. It was natural for him to want...something like this to relax him. Realizing that it would be better to talk about something else, she decided to ask him about what they were supposed to talk by coming here...

"Anyway, let's get to the point, right?"

Lars nodded after drinking some of his wine...

"Well, did you check the files?" she said with a questioning look...

"I did" said Lars setting them on the table...

"So?" she said taking them in her hands...

"The Mishima Zaibatsu did the same investigation around the same time period when G-Corp was making its own."

Julia nodded...

"Yes, we know that."

"However, they took it even further...I mean the Mishima Zaibatsu."

She sighed with a sad expression on her face. Lars felt sad as well seeing her like this...

"That means that it was useless of me giving you these and even taking your time. I am so..."

He interrupted her when he said...

"No, no...You got it wrong! I had no idea that this kind of data even existed. It's thanks to you that I know of that."

Julia smiled when she noticed that Lars was trying to reassure her...

"But still, Lars, these were useless information."

Lars took once again the files from Julia, who was now confused, and took out a certain page of the investigation...

"You see that? Here is the place of the investigation and here the reason why it happened."

He raised his gaze to meet Julia's confused one...

"Before I read these files I was wondering why he chose Middle East as a place to set the war. Now, I get it. This tomb, there, holds a part of the devil gene, Kazuya is looking for. After making sure that Jin is out of the picture, he turned his views there. I mean, they are able to feel an evil energy, just like they did with Azazel. And I guess, he senses the same again. As you see, it's not a coincidence from him leading us there, don't you agree?"

Julia nodded. What Lars was saying made sense now. Why couldn't she figure it from the very beginning? Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard him saying...

"When did you get these, Julia?"

She looked at him and said...

"It was around the time, I was working for them...You know, there, I have an acquaintance, who works in the Medical Facility, even though she's also the woman preoccupying with the JACK robots' engine. I talked to her yesterday on the phone and she said that, indeed, they searched for the data and the files but since the place was exploded, they think that their disappearance was caused by this."

Lars nodded...

"You mean that they think the files were destroyed and not stolen."

"Y-Yeah..."

He smiled...

"Then, that's to our advantage."

Julia sighed and shook her head...

"I'm sorry but I wouldn't say that"

He looked confused at her...

"Think about it. They, already, know the Zaibatsu had made the same investigation. I'm positive that they will send spies or assassins to retrieve them from you."

Lars nodded. She was right...

"You have a point." He said thinking about something...

He raised his head and said...

"Julia?"

"Hmm? I mean yes?"

"I have a favor to ask."

Julia raised an eyebrow. What could he possibly want?

"Me? How am I supposed to help you?"

He smiled at her...

"Please...Come and work at the Zaibatsu with me."

Her eyes widened. Lars was sure that she would have this kind of reaction but he couldn't help it. He really needed a smart and composed person like Julia being around there to help him with this kind of things, which he couldn't understand completely. Julia was still shocked. She turned her head around the restaurant and then in front of her to face Lars, who was looking at her with a smile...

"Lars? What can I possibly do to help you? I would be delighted to but...how?"

Lars took her hands with his and used his most charming smile, something which was learnt by Lee, to convince her...

"Please, think about it."

Julia rolled her eyes. She had seen this smile a million times when it was coming from Lee Chaolan...

"Hehe...Lars, this smile doesn't work on me. Even though you're really charming, you shouldn't have used it here. Listen, I'm willing to think about it, if only you tell me what I'll have to do."

Lars released her hands and smiled once again. This time it was one of his own smiles. Julia found them a lot more charming. She, then, heard him saying...

"I'm aware of your abilities and I need your help. I want you to be the head of the Research Facility. We're in a critical situation and you're the only one I can trust on the subject of the devil gene. I know you can find more information on that tomb."

She sighed. It was true that she would be able to help him in this kind of thing but it was her first time working as the lead of such a big company as the Mishima Zaibatsu. She turned her gaze at him, who was looking impatiently at her...

"You're flattering me by putting so much trust in me, even though we barely know each other. But I've never done something like that before."

Lars nodded...

"I know but everything has its first time. Trust me, I'll show you what you'll have to do but give me this chance. Come by my office tomorrow."

She was the one to smile this time and said...

"Fine! Since you trust me, I guess, I have to do the same."

 **Next day, Mishima Zaibatsu...**

Lars having Alisa, as always, by his side walked inside his office to find Julia waiting for him. Alisa bowed kindly at her. Julia has been kind to her even though they didn't know each other well. However, Alisa couldn't guess that Julia might be thinking of her as a love rival. She never thought of Lars that way. She always wanted a family, since she never managed to be with her father, and the feeling of being protected and wanting to protect. Being with Lars was what she needed to succeed in both...

For Julia it wasn't the best seeing the man, she was interested in, being with the girl she thought as a threat. Of course, it wasn't like she was holding feelings of hostility towards her and she didn't believe that Alisa would ever make a move on Lars, thinking that she couldn't possibly hold feelings of love for a man, but she wasn't sure of his feelings for her. However, inside her mind she thought that she mustn't think of her personal life in days like these. World's safety was much more important than Julia's possible crush, since she wasn't sure if she felt love or just attraction...

Alisa and Lars walked next to Julia. He asked from her to take a seat and he sat on his office's chair. Alisa stood next to Julia. For an instant, he was ready to call for Nina but he remembered that he gave her an interesting mission. If she could convince this man to come with her, then, she deserved a raise and he wasn't joking. After texting her in the morning he challenged her in that way. He looked in front of him and smiled again at the two girls. Alisa smiled at him and Julia based on her previous thoughts decided to be serious by crossing her arms...

"Lars, shouldn't we discuss about...you know?" she said looking at him...

He nodded and said...

"Sure! But don't you think it would be better if we go and talk at the certain place?"

"I thought that this was what we were supposed to do, right?" she said standing up...

Lars stood up as well and said approaching the girls...

"Well, shall we go?"

They both nodded and walked to the door...

Lars walked further to open the door for them but as he did, Tougou walked inside in a hurry bumping onto him. They looked at each other and Lars said with a smile at the serious Tougou...

"Tougou, why the hurry?"

He looked at his friend and then at the two girls with his gaze falling on Julia's unfamiliar face. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed his eyes on her and when he realized he was staring at her the whole time and not telling what he wanted to his friend, he turned his gaze away leaving Julia confused...

"Lars, I was calling all day. Why didn't you answer? I even tried to call Nina and the same happens with her. What's wrong?"

He touched his shoulder and said...

"I'll explain. Don't worry!"

Lars looked at Alisa's side and said...

"Alisa, will you take Julia to the place?"

She nodded and then he said again facing Julia this time...

"Julia, I'll be there soon, ok?"

"I understand take your time" she said smiling...

That time he looked back at Tougou and said...

"By the way, Tougou, this is Julia Chang. She will be the leader in the Research Facility from today onwards." He then turned to Julia and said...

"Julia, this is the lieutenant of Yggdrasil and my best friend Tougou...umm...just Tougou."

Julia smiled confusingly...

"Just Tougou?"

Lars laughed slightly and said irritating his friend...

"He doesn't like his surname. Only his family and people, who considers really close to him knows of that."

Tougou rolled his eyes and Lars laughed at him. Julia smiled at him and said extending her hand...

"I'm Julia Chang. Nice to meet you, Mr. Tougou...I guess"

He took her hand with his and said smiling for the first time today...

"Nice meeting you, too, Miss Chang. And, please, call me just Tougou. If you want to use the word "mister", then, use it for this old man here." He said pointing to Lars...

He raised an eyebrow in irritation and said...

"Hey?! I'm just two years older than you."

It was Tougou's turn to touch his friend's shoulder and said...

"Maybe but still that makes you thirty and me twenty eight. You have already moved to the fourth decade of your life."

"Whatever...Anyway, Alisa and Julia, I'll find you there." He said dismissing them...

The girls bowed to them and started to walk away but before that, Julia said looking at Tougou...

"I hope, we'll get along well. And you, as well, call me Julia."

He smiled once again at her and nodded. After that both Julia and Alisa walked outside Lars' office...

Lars looked mockingly at his friend and when Tougou noticed him said...

"Why are you giving me that look?"

"It's been ages since I last saw that smile of yours."

Tougou nodded...

"Yeah, that's true! It's been years since a woman smiled to me with you being in front of that. Otherwise, they all smile to you."

"I never knew you felt this way." He said jokingly...

"Yeah...I'm hurt. Now about yesterday…"

"Ah yes…What happened yesterday?" said Lars as he motioned for his friend to have a seat…

"We bombarded the whole place. Everyone on TV is talking about that."

"Well…obviously" mentioned Lars and crossed his arms…

"That guy, Bruce Irvin was the one, who talked to the press about it…Whatever, I don't care about that, you can check it out yourself. What I wanted to say was that there was no single person inside. I found it weird."

"And why did you order them to do that then?" he asked as he thought of his friend's useless act…

"Just to be sure, that's why. We have to be more forceful and not wait always for Kazuya Mishima's moves. I believed that we needed to show them exactly that thing."

Lars didn't say anything else. It was true that he left this mission upon Tougou and remembered once again Nina's words. Sometimes he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Then, he would realize that would it be better to let his brother do as he wished? And that was when he would think that, indeed, he was doing what it was right. Tougou waved his hand at his friend to take his attention…

"Lars?"

"You did well. Leave the press to me. I'll remember to give an interview these days."

"Understood. I'm going, then…"

"Wait!" said Lars stopping him…

"What is it?" asked Tougou as he sat down once again…

"For our army base outside Osaka...I found the leader I need."

Tougou raised an eyebrow... "Why didn't you say anything to me? I could do that."

Lars nodded… "Sorry for not letting you know."

The black haired man waved his hand… "Has he agreed to aid you?"

"Well, it's not sure that he'll accept, so I can't say but that's why I sent Nina, in the first place...To convince him."

"Nina, eh? Are you kidnapping him or something?" asked Tougou jokingly…

Lars smirked...

"Of course not. This guy is difficult to deal with, that's why I asked her to do it."

Tougou crossed his arms...

"Who is he?"

He looked at him... "Do you remember, two years ago, the Resistance?"

He nodded...

"You mean that small rebel team against the Zaibatsu and G-Corp, right?"

"Yeah...Their leader used to be in the Korean army and a participant in those tournaments sponsored by the Zaibatsu. I'm sure that he'll be able to do what I hope for the army base in Osaka."

"I see...and what will happen if she can't convince him?"

Lars smiled because he knew that Nina wouldn't disappoint him. He looked at his friend and said...

"Well...Let's first make sure that she doesn't convince him...and then, we'll see what we're doing"

 **South Korea, Seoul, Downtown...**

 **Late Afternoon…**

Nina Williams landed two hours ago in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. She knew of the town and for it being one of the populous cities in the world. It was known that she enjoyed travelling and if she wasn't on a mission, she would have definitely been strolling around by now. However, life or better...Lars, had other plans for her. She got out of the helicopter riding her bike. She hoped that by putting the address of his house in the GPS could help her arrive in the right place. She didn't have time to get lost. The ride was quite long until she arrived. You couldn't say that the place he was living was the exact downtown. It looked more like a district. She parked her bike and hopped off of it. She took off her glasses and checked once again his portfolio. She wasn't sure if she should start knocking on the doors but she had to do something...

A man from a nearby shop saw the beautiful, blonde foreign woman. He was seduced by her with her not even looking at him. He cleared a little his throat to gain her attention and said when he saw her looking at him...

"Umm...excuse me, Miss. You are walking around here for some time and I was wondering...could it be that you're looking for someone? Maybe, are you lost or something?"

Nina smirked at him and walked to his place. She gave him the paper with the address and said...

"So lucky to find you...Could you please tell me if I'm in the right place?"

The man after managing to leave her eyes, said...

"Yes, Miss. You are in the right place."

Nina faked a relieved smile...

"Thank you and will you, please, let me know if a man by the name "Hwoarang" lives in there?"

The man nodded and said...

"Sure! But even if you knock, he's not gonna listen to you."

She raised an eyebrow...

"And why's that?"

The man sighed thinking of how Hwoarang's life has turned into...

"He wakes up late in the afternoon and he practices all day until he gets out at night and goes in the alleys for street fighting."

She crossed her arms and said looking at the house...

"I guess, Baek Doo San's death caused him quite a lot."

The man nodded and heard Nina saying again...

"Then, how am I supposed to get in? It's already six."

"Well, then, he probably practices right now. Let's see if he'll listen to that."

Nina watched as the man kneeled down and picked up a small rock. He stood up again and threw it at the window, where the dojo of the house was on the second floor. They waited for a while until he opened the window and looked down on the man...

"What the hell do you want, you bastard?"

"Good morning to you, as well, Hwoarang. It's not me who wants something, boy, but this lady here."

Hwoarang looked at the woman but couldn't recognize her from this distance...

"A minute." He said and closed the window...

Nina turned to face the man and said...

"Thanks!"

The man nodded and walked back to his store. Nina approached the door and waited for Hwoarang to open it...

Hwoarang wiped some of the sweat from his torso and neck with a towel and then walked the stairs down wondering who that woman was and what she wanted...

"Who the fuck is she now?" he muttered before opening the door...

He placed his hand on the doorknob and when he opened it he saw Nina Williams smiling at him. His eyes widened...

"Good morning!" he heard her saying...

"What the hell?! The blonde Williams...How come you're here and what do you want...umm...wait a minute...You are Anna of the two, right?"

She sighed...

"I'm Nina and anyway, if you're interested in what I want with you, you'll have to let me in. So, will you?"

Hwoarang smirked...

"You got it wrong. I'm not interested at all. I was just surprised or is it maybe that you were ordered to assassinate me?"

"Sorry to disappoint both of us but no. That's not the case. Just let me talk to you" she said crossing her arms...

Hwoarang sighed and opened the door further letting her inside...

"Whatever...Just make it quick. I don't have time for whatever bullshit you have to tell me."

Nina walked inside and he closed the door...

"Why? Are you, maybe, busy? I doubt it to tell you the truth."

Hwoarang looked confused at her...

"And why's that?" he said resting his body on the wall...

"As I know, your everyday schedule contains training and then fighting in the alleys for some money. I believe that you can do a lot better than that"

Hwoarang smiled...

"Could it be that you're asking me to work as an assassin alongside you? Cute!"

Nina sighed...

"Cute, indeed...Anyway, am I right?"

He walked to the kitchen and opened the faucet to have a glass of water. He turned back at her and said...

"What is it to you?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said approaching him...

"To me? I don't even care. My boss does on the other hand."

He raised an eyebrow. What boss was she talking about?

"Boss?"

Nina smiled at his puzzled face...

"Haven't you heard of Lars Alexandersson being the new leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu?"

Of course, he knew. Everyone did. And now he realized that Nina was still working for the Zaibatsu. She looked at him and said...

"So? Don't you know?"

"Oh yeah, I do know...So what about that?" he said and drank his glass of water...

"And what do you have to say?"

He rolled his eyes. Was he supposed to say anything? It wasn't any of his busyness. And that man being the leader didn't mean much difference, at least for him. After these two years, he lived a pitiful life. Even he, himself, felt this way but what was he supposed to do? His master died because of G-Corporation and on top of that, it was his entire fault. Resistance's purpose was to go against the Zaibatsu but Hwoarang's hatred for the G-Corp, made them go against them as well. Baek and the other members protested but he told them that going against Jin, only, was doing half the job. Baek understood what his student meant and he agreed saying that people's dimensional minds made them believe of Kazuya Mishima as a hero. In the end, the other members followed their leader's opinion and fought against Kazuya. However, Hwoarang regretted it in an instant. He only blamed himself for his master's death. For such an honorable fighter as him to die by a mere soldier's gun...Hwoarang found it pathetic.

Nina was looking at him all the time. He, maybe, had forgotten that she was still there. Not that she cared of what he was thinking. The only thing she wanted was for him to come with her and things didn't look good. She had to think of something...Maybe, making him vulnerable emotionally could help her, a little. She smirked and stood there waiting for that chance...

Indeed, Hwoarang has forgotten of Nina being inside his house and when he remembered her, he turned and faced her...

"Good for him! What else could I possibly say? Now get to the point!"

She smiled...

"Sure...He wants to talk to you about something in private."

"And why didn't he come by himself?"

"As the good businessman that he is, he is everyday really busy."

Hwoarang felt "sick" to his stomach. He needed someone to kill him as well...

"I'll let that go, Williams, without giving any comment. And, anyway, I have no reason to want and listen to whatever another shitty Mishima has to say."

Nina looked surprised at him...So, he was informed...

"I see, you know that he's a Mishima, as well. I'm surprised!"

Hwoarang smiled...

"In my opinion, bad news travel fast."

She nodded...

"I'll agree with you on that."

He sighed and looked at her...

"W-Whatever...just give me a hint and I'll think about it."

"So, we're getting curious, right?"

"Just say it, Anna..."

Nina rolled her eyes irritated this time...

"For the second time today...It's Nina."

Hwoarang nodded and he heard her saying again...

"Anyway, I'll tell you something...He wants to recruit you or something like that."

Hwoarang started laughing...

"You must be kidding me, right?"

"No...Why would I do that?"

"And why me?"

"After seeing you fight with the Resistance, he believed that you possess what a great leader must have. He thinks you're talented."

He sighed once again...

"I'll pass in compliments coming from the Mishimas. All of them need to go to hell! They don't have better things to do than spreading war all over the world once again. I can't believe that you're involving yourself once again"

Nina let him have his ranting...

"Whatever you say, boy...Their affairs have nothing to do with me. I'm only doing my job."

"I get what you're saying."

"That's enough, I guess...But...Don't you want to get back at G-Corp?"

Hwoarang's eyes widened...

"Huh?!"

"Baek Doo San was killed by them, wasn't he?"

Now he understood what she was trying to do. Hitting him emotionally was clever. He didn't expect less from that woman but he wasn't going to do the same mistakes ever again. He walked to the door and opened it. He looked at her and said...

"Get out!"

Nina didn't move a muscle...

"Am I wrong?" was all she said...

He breathed out and closed his eyes...

"Tch...What is it to you?" he said opening his eyes to look at her side...

"I wouldn't leave an unfair death pass like that."

Hwoarang didn't have time to think of her trying to trick him once again. He just laughed at the joke she just said...

"I didn't know, you had such sense of humor. Something like that coming from the number one assassin in the market is just ridiculous, don't you think so?

Nina smiled...

"Perhaps..."

"I'm glad we agreed on something. Can you, please, now go?"

She started walking to his side and when Hwoarang was ready to step aside for her to leave, she said...

"Listen, I can understand you."

Hwoarang's whole expression changed, from an uninterested one to the murderous one, right now. He slammed the door and pushed her behind, making her lose for a while her balance...

"You understand nothing, Williams. I have no one in this life...To care...To protect...For who knows ridiculous reasons you're fighting with your sister. The Mishimas are killing each other for this damn power thing...I...I've had e-enough of that..."

Nina listened to his outburst. In a part, she understood him. The only person she ever cared for was killed. But she wasn't here to sympathize with him but to get him. She walked inside the house once again and sat on the couch making Hwoarang annoyed, even more than he already was...

"I get it but I'm not going to leave this house until you give me your positive answer."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he said raising an eyebrow...

She shook her head...

"No...Let's have a deal."

"What kind of deal?" he said suspiciously...

"I have information that your master's dojo is upstairs."

"Your point?" he said waiting for her to continue...

She stood up and said...

"I'm challenging you. If I win you're coming with me."

"Say what?!" he said surprised...

"You heard me. I think is fair enough. As I said if I win you're coming with me and if you win...well...umm...ok...That's not like me but for you I'll make an exception. If you win, we're having sex!"

Hwoarang placed his hands on his hips and smirked...

"Quite tempting, Nina...However, I'll pass. I mean, who knows where you're having your blades hidden. What if you assassinate me after failing your mission?"

She crossed her arms and smiled at him...

"You have a point!" she then said once again... "Well, what would you say if...I don't bother you again?"

Hwoarang didn't think much about it. He knew he would win and if a mere fight meant to get rid of her, so be it...

"Agreed, follow me!"

They both walked the stairs to the dojo on the second floor. Hwoarang closed the door behind him and asked from her to take her place. Seconds later the fight started. Nina was always a difficult opponent and she was never holding back. Even, if this time she wanted for herself to be the loser, she wasn't going to make it easy. Hwoarang was serving unstoppable kicks at her. She noticed that he indeed wasn't doing anything else than training...

While he was fighting her, the only thing he was thinking was of finishing it quickly. He really wanted her to leave. She was getting on his nerves. However, when he started feeling the sweat on his torso and nape, he remembered all the hard training he had with Baek, to achieve all this. He remembered his teachings and how he told him to not make the mistakes he did. He realized that even though his master was dead, his memory and his teachings inside Hwoarang's mind and heart were still there. That time he made his decision. He was going to avenge his master and even if the way by doing it was to take a gun in his hands once again, then he didn't have another choice but to do so...

Nina, with a throw, sent him some meters away. That hurt, he thought and tried to manage himself up. Nina smirked after seeing him doing that and ran to him to make her last attack. However, Hwoarang delivered a high kick, while standing up, hitting the running Nina on her stomach, with that sending her back to the place she was. The fight was finished and Hwoarang was the winner. Nina rubbed her stomach and smiled. Even though she lost, she knew that she had already succeeded. The fiery look in his brown eyes during the fight made her believe that. She stood up and watched as he did the same...

"Ugh...You won...I'm surprised!"

Hwoarang tried to breathe normally after the hard time Nina gave him and said...

"Surprised? Didn't your long gone boss, Jin Kazama, tell you that I beat him up in the fifth tournament? _Even though he sent me into a comma with that devil gene of his_ " he said cockily...

"He mentioned something." She said irritating him...

"Ehh?"

Nina sighed...

"Well, a deal's a deal and I'll keep my word. For the fourth time in my assassination career my mission failed."

Hwoarang just smiled. Nina wore her jacket and watched Hwoarang wiping the sweat from his body...

"Ok then, I can help myself out." She then started to walk to the stairs until she heard...

"W-Wait..." he muttered...

Nina smirked after thinking that she succeeded her mission...

" _Bingo!_ Did you say anything?"

Hwoarang scratched the back of his head. He still had his doubts but he needed to avenge his master's honor and the only way to success was the hard one...

"I'll come with you."

She turned to face him and said like she was surprised by his words...

"But...didn't you say that..."

Hwoarang frowned irritated looking at her fake surprised face. He wasn't an idiot. He saw right through her smirks and what she was trying to do...

"Will you shut up or do you want me to change my mind?" he said angrily...

Nina sighed...

"Fine, fine...just take what you need. In some hours, we must be back."

"Give me a break, Nina!"

 **THANKS FOR READING!**


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **G-Corporation...**

Miharu Hirano opened her eyes...

She didn't recognize the place. It was so dark and cold. She could barely see her own hands, which were trying to touch her body. Her body felt sore. But why? She didn't remember doing something exhausting for her body to feel like that. Her hands left her chest and moved to her head. She winched in pain when she felt the scratches on her face and the intense pain on the back of her head. What happened to her? This wasn't her house, right? This cluelessness scared her more than anything. She started to move and while touching the floor her hand made contact with something. Miharu grabbed onto something. She travelled her hand up and down and realized that it was a leg. In an instant she let go of that. Little by little, pictures of what happened to her yesterday were coming to her mind...

Anna was standing for about some minutes inside that dark room. However, she could see the injured girl and her moves. She smirked when she saw her moving towards her. She watched as she grabbed her leg and travelled her hand upside down. She, then, saw as the girl released her and moved backwards in fear. That time Anna turned on the lights and watched the swollen scared face of the girl's in front of her. That made her laugh...

"Good morning!" said Anna lowering her body to meet her teary eyes...

Miharu was even more scared, since she remembered everything that happened and that woman's pretty but hostile face. But still, she didn't know where she was and what this woman wanted with Xiaoyu...

"Y-You...You are the woman from yesterday. Where am I? Why did you bring me here?"

Anna sighed and crossed her arms...

"So many tiring questions...And I thought that the boys took care of you."

Miharu stayed silent. Anna was frightening her with every word she was saying. She, then, saw her as she kneeled down and cupped her face. Anna traced her fingers gently at the scar below her eyebrow. She pouted mockingly...

"However, I had to tell them to spare your face. I know that it's the most important thing a woman has. I apologize for that."

" _Are you kidding me or what? What do you want with me? I have already betrayed my friend by telling you what I know because of my cowardice."_

Anna stood up and placed her hands on her hips...

"How rude of me? We know each other since yesterday and I haven't introduced myself, properly, to you."

Miharu frowned seeing how the woman enjoyed this situation...

"I'm Anna Williams and I'm working for G-Corporation."

"G-Corporation?"

Anna nodded...

"Yes, the only company being able to put an end to the Mishima Zaibatsu's ambitions."

Miharu knew of that. Two years ago, G-Corporation was proved to be the hero to the public's eyes and minds. However, Miharu, thanks to Xiaoyu, wasn't fooled by this. Suddenly, she remembered when she heard that woman's name before...

"Wait a minute! You are that woman, who sent Xiao to Kyoto."

Anna gave her a fake surprised look...

"You have quite the memory. I guess she tells you everything, right?"

" _I won't be fooled by her...But what am I saying? I'm already the fool, here..."_

Anna nodded seeing her face and said...

"I'll be going now...Listen, I'll ask from Jane to bring you something to eat. Believe me, I want Xiaoyu to save you, as well, sweetie."

She started walking to the exit until Miharu's voice stopped her...

"W-What are you going to do to Xiao?"

Anna smiled to herself. She, herself, didn't have any idea what Kazuya was plotting. It would be from the simplest thing as asking her what he wanted to know or...everything that could enter a man's mind with the devil inside him. She opened the door and said not facing the girl...

"That's not something useful for you to know"

Miharu listened to the door closing in front of her and buried her face inside her hands letting the tears fall from her eyes...

" _Please, Xiao...Come...I'm scared..."_

Anna left Miharu once again alone in that room and made her way to Kazuya's office. She took the elevator to the top floor. She stepped out of it and walked her way to his office. She hesitated before opening the door and that made her knock on it for the first time, even though she knew that Kazuya would find it weird. She shook her head and knocked on the door, once again, but no one answered. She raised an eyebrow. Could it be that he wasn't inside? After that, she pressed the button and opened the door to find Kazuya looking outside the window of his office having his hands behind his back. She closed the door behind her and tried to approach him until he turned and faced her with his cold gaze...

"Didn't I tell you that I don't want you to bother me until you bring me the girl?"

She crossed her arms...

"You said that, I know but who was supposed to let you know of what's going on except me?"

"Whatever" he said walking to his office and, then, sat on his seat... "Anyway, what happened of being worthy to be reported to me?"

"We have the girl's friend, here...Are you, maybe, curious to see her?"

"What made you think I would?" he said relaxing his back on the chair...

Anna walked and sat on the office's edge...

"Well, it's not like I said it because of you being curious but I believe that your appearance might scare her and then make her talk, at last."

He sighed listening to Anna's reason...

"Tell me...What exactly did she tell you?"

"That she left some days after the war ended and the only way she communicated with her was when Ling Xiaoyu was calling her, once a month, from various numbers, which weren't visible." She sighed... "Was she thinking that I would believe her?"

"I don't believe she lied to you."

"Huh?"

"Try to think as this insolent girl we hired would. Being her best friend, she should have trusted her. You're saying that she left right after the war ended...Two years ago. Think about it...Without any proper communication with her there's no possibility she would tell her anything and that's because inside her naïve brain, she thought it was for her friend's safety."

Anna frowned and placed her hand under her chin...

"You have a point but..."

Kazuya interrupted her when he said...

"Whatever the case, she will find out that her friend's missing and since, as I guess, you made our presence understandable to her, she will come to us."

She smiled looking at Kazuya's full of confidence face...

"I guess you're right"

 **Tokyo, Downtown, Miharu's house...**

Ling Xiaoyu left the Mishima Estate really early in the morning. However, Heihachi managed to give her some "advice". He told her that it would be for the best if she comes back early. Xiaoyu pouted hearing this. She was planning to at least stay a night with Miharu. She couldn't find a reason why he asked something like that but she wasn't allowed to say anything back. At least that was how she felt. Heihachi has been good enough to her, even more than how he was six years ago. Showing her gratitude, she nodded her head without asking why. That was the reason why she left with Panda by her side this early in the morning. She wanted to do a lot of things with her friend and because of Heihachi's "advice", she had to take advantage of every minute with Miharu. She wasn't sure when she would be seeing her again or if she would ever see her again. That last thought saddened her. Something inside her felt like that but she was trying to shake these thoughts away from her mind for now. Her priority, before she was back to the Estate again, was to have fun with Miharu and Panda. For a moment a picture of Alisa's cute face entered her mind. How much she missed her? She was always wondering how she was doing. She, of course, knew that she was aiding Lars these two years but she couldn't stop being worried. Alisa's having a pure soul...Will this new war corrupt it or not? She hoped not. Such kind soul as Alisa's maybe is the last reminiscence of how an innocent human soul used to be. Now, such souls can only be found in naive children...This is what the war brought along with the destruction...

In around three hours they arrived. Xiaoyu hopped off of Panda, who was a little tired after so much running. She patted her head as a "thank you" for the enjoyable ride and along with her, they walked inside the house's yard. Xiaoyu smiled while making her way to the front door. Miharu didn't change anything. Even the flowers she had grown while she was still living here were still there with Miharu taking care of them. She walked the stairs and now she found herself behind the door. She smiled and said turning to see Panda, who was standing behind her...

"Panda...It's been a long time, right?"

Panda nodded her head at her friend...

"Anyway" she muttered and knocked on the door.

For an unknown reason she felt anxious. In her mind she believed that it was natural since they haven't seen each other for a long time. She shook her head and knocked once again...

There was no answer. She raised an eyebrow confused. She should be here at this hour. She looked at Panda, who with her paw motioned for her to see the doorbell. Xiaoyu smiled...

She pressed it multiple times and the same was happening. She knocked louder this time and said...

"Miharu!? It's me...Xiao. Come on, sleepyhead, open up!" she rubbed her hand after knocking so much on the door... _"I guess she didn't wait for me"_ she sighed... _"I don't blame her, though."_

She dropped her shoulders desperately but she cheered up once again and said while looking inside her bag...

"Good thing I took my keys with me"

Xiaoyu opened the door slowly and walked inside the house. At first everything seemed normal. Just like it was before she left but after she walked in the living room she gasped...

"Why is the house in such a mess?" she said and turned to see Panda, who was equally confused...

She tightened her grips...

" _I don't have a good feeling about this"_

With that thought of hers she made her way to Miharu's bedroom leaving behind Panda, who was watching her leave. Xiaoyu looked everywhere. She checked the bathrooms, her own bedroom and even the attic. She frowned and walked back again. In the same time Panda noticed something interesting written with red lipstick on one of the mirrors. When she saw Xiaoyu coming back she tried to get her attention. Her mistress' eyes widened thinking that Panda might have found something. She ran there and her mouth was left opened when she read what was written...

 _If you want your friend back, you know where you have to come_

 _Love, Anna!_

 _P.S Sorry for the mess!_

"A-Anna...What would she want with Miharu? What am I saying? What would she want with me?"

She looked at her pet and said kneeling beside her...

"Panda...I'm sorry for asking you this but you need to take me there."

Panda had her doubts. It was true that Miharu was a nice girl and her mistress' best friend but Xiaoyu was always coming first. She wouldn't allow something to happen to her. She wouldn't let her risk her life for anyone. But on the other hand, she came face to face with Xiaoyu's teary eyes. She had seen her crying again and it was unbearable. Even though, she didn't agree with her going to G-Corporation she knew that Xiaoyu wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to an innocent because of her. She realized that she had to take her...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu**

For about an hour, Lars was escorting Julia around the Research Facility. He was, almost, sure that she would accept his proposal. He knew that she wasn't a coward and she wasn't afraid of putting herself in danger, if only her beliefs were fulfilled. She was wishing the same as Lars. Of course, she had her own reasons as well for wanting Kazuya's downfall. It wasn't only her capture, two years ago, but also, he was the one responsible for her mother's parents', in other words for her grandparents', murder. But still, if she was going to accept Lars' proposal, which she had already had in her mind, Michelle was not supposed to know. She knew her mother and that she wouldn't bear losing her daughter as well. Julia, on the other hand, wasn't afraid for her own life. Something in Lars' eyes made her believe that he would protect her with everything he had, or else that was what she wanted to believe. Did she believe of him as her prince charming? There's no way something like that could actually happen but even if that's true, Julia wasn't going to admit it even to herself.

Lars was watching her face all the time from the moment they entered the building. He noticed the satisfactory expression. Did he manage to convince her? He hoped "yes". She seemed impressed with what she was seeing. She had been in the G-Corporation's Research Facility but it was no match to the Zaibatsu's. On the other hand that didn't surprise her, since she knew that Dr. Bosconovitch used to work for the Zaibatsu. He was a brilliant scientist, who Julia really admired.

After the "tour" they walked back to the headquarters. Lars opened the door to his office and stepped aside for the two women to walk inside the room first. They did and he followed them. He approached Julia from behind and said putting his hand on her shoulder...

"So, Julia, what do you say? Are you joining us?"

"I'll be honest, Lars" she crossed her arms and sighed... "I'll help you for as long as this thing with the devil gene ends. I mean you're going after him for that reason, right?"

"What else?!" he said after nodding...

Julia smiled and gave her hand to him for a handshake...

"Then, I'll be looking forward working with you, boss."

Lars smiled at the word "boss" coming from her and said...

"Same here but for you, it's still Lars."

He was ready to talk about something again until he heard someone knocking on his door. He asked for the person to walk inside and saw one of his soldiers approaching him...

"Sir!" said the man while saluting at him...

"What is it?" he asked after dismissing him...

"This arrived for you just now. Here..."

The man gave Lars a note he was holding in his other hand. His boss took it in his hand and opened it with curiosity. He read the letter and he knew from where it was coming from. Well, not directly but he was sure about, who was giving the orders. He smirked at the letter's content. He was expecting something like that coming from this man, however, he was expecting it sooner. He continued reading until the smile disappeared from his face. Both Julia and Alisa were worried about him and the latter asked with concern...

"Lars-senpai...Are you ok?"

Julia sensed the aura changing around him. She was not so worried about if he was ok or not but more for the letter's content. She said wanting to attract his attention...

"What is that letter about, Lars? _What does it, possible, say that made your whole aura change?_ "

Lars looked at both Julia and Alisa, and smiled. He thought of course that this was a trap but what if it wasn't...

"You don't have to worry." He, then, turned to face Julia and said...

"Actually, I wouldn't call that a letter. Better call it an invitation."

Julia and Alisa looked at each other confused...

"An invitation...What kind of?"

"Don't confuse yourself much. I just have to visit some old man, who decided that his time has come."

Julia sighed. Even though she knew at whom Lars was referring to, she asked...

"Who are you talking about?"

He gave her the letter and she took it in her hands...

"Just read this" he then turned to the soldier... "Inform Tougou that I want him to come here. You're dismissed"

"Yes, sir!" he said bowing at him and made his way to do what he asked him...

Julia read the letter as well. What does this man has up his sleeve again? She was scared even in the thought. However, she knew that Lars wasn't like the others. Like the distant one from the Mishimas that he was, that made him more like an outsider. Julia thought, No! All of them did, that this was better. As an outsider he could see things more clearly and he wouldn't do things the way they do. He wasn't a victim like Jin. He wasn't betrayed by Heihachi and not cursed by Kazuya, even though being born in this family was a curse itself. The three of them fighting each other all the time never solved anything and with the fighting for their personal reasons they were hurting the innocent around the world. With that happening this fighting wasn't just between one family. Lars had his comrades with him and along with that, the wrath of the world to fight them. That was the best motive for him to defeat them. Not his nephew anymore, after learning for his pure intentions in the end, but for sure, both father and brother would be out of the picture soon. He had to promise that to the people around him and he, absolutely, had to make it reality.

"What are you going to do, Lars?" she said giving him the letter back...

He took it from her hand and said giving her a smile...

"Didn't I tell you? I can't just ignore such a kind invitation, can I?"

"And what if it's a trap?"

Lars placed the letter on his desk and proceeded to sit on his seat...

"I'm sure that it is, Julia, but think about it...Don't you have him able to kidnap an innocent just to fulfill his purpose? Didn't Heihachi Mishima do the same with your mother?"

Her eyes widened. How did he know of that? She never told him...

"Yeah...Lee told me about it. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

She nodded...

"It's fine, don't worry about it and I guess you're right. Heihachi Mishima..."

Julia's words were interrupted when Alisa spoke...

"This man just kills for nothing."

Lars and Julia looked at her side. Lars was both worried and surprised. Alisa never wore such an expression before, at least not in front of him. This expression...What was it showing when it was coming from Alisa? Anger? Hatred? Julia walked to her side and held her hands...

"Alisa, is something wrong? We will hear you if you want to share it with us?"

Lars nodded when Alisa's green eyes made contact with his own. She looked back to Julia and smiled at her...

"Thanks but I'm alright."

With that Julia released Alisa's hands from her grips and walked to Lars' place placing her hands on each side of the desk...

"Just don't tell me that you're going by yourself."

He smiled...

"With that scary face you're having, I'm afraid to say yes."

However, Julia didn't laugh at his joke and Lars noticing that said...

"I'm joking. I should thank you for being considerate. No! What am I saying? I can't go by myself since I promised to protect you. And of course, I won't let him hurt an innocent person just for his whims."

Julia crossed her arms and said...

"Good to hear that but what if he has sent the same letter to Kazuya as well?"

"I doubt it. For the time being Kazuya doesn't have an interest in this man and don't tell me that you think of him as a man, who when he learns that a person is in danger, he'll go for his rescue."

She laughed slightly. What a stupid thing to say? When she was ready to talk to him once again, she watched him as he was walking to Alisa's side. She raised an eyebrow when she saw her walking away from him making steps behind. She, also, noticed the letter in her hand...

"Alisa, please, you have to tell me if something happened to you. Did I do anything to upset you, maybe?"

She shook her head. After reading the letter, she felt guilty. Both for lying to Lars, who was such a good and caring friend to her and for not being able to protect her friend. If she had told him back then that she knows that Xiaoyu was one of Jin's closest people, maybe, she would have been safe now and she would be able to protect her. Alisa frowned saddened and said...

"I lied to you, senpai."

Lars looked at her confused...

"Lied? About what?"

Alisa gave him the letter...

"I read this letter and summed up some things."

"Wait...What does this, I mean you reading the letter, have to do with you lying to me?"

"Don't you remember when we were with Lee Chaolan?"

Lars nodded and Julia started to figure out what was happening with Alisa...

"He suggested for us to start looking for people, who were close to Jin Kazama, if we wanted to pursue him"

"What about that?"

Alisa rubbed her hand nervously. What if he would get mad at her? What if he didn't understand her reasons? Julia noticed her expression. It showed that she wasn't sure if she should tell him or not. Julia decided to make her talk in her own way...

"Alisa...I'm sorry for butting in but...Could it be that the person being mentioned in this letter is Ling Xiaoyu? As I remember, she was the one closest to him"

When Lars heard that name, he remembered when Alisa was once again sad. Could it be that this person in the letter was the same as Alisa's friend, as Julia asked her?

"Alisa, that girl, Julia just mentioned, is the "Xiao-onesan" you were talking about the other day?"

She nodded...

"Yes...I'm sorry for not telling you."

Lars sighed...

"You know if she's with Heihachi?"

She shook her head negatively...

"N-No and because I lied to you, I'd like to ask you if you can allow me to take this mission upon myself. It would be the least I could do to solve things."

Julia approached the pink-haired girl once again and said...

"Listen, Alisa...You going by yourself wouldn't solve anything. The last thing we want is to lose you as well."

"I'll be fine!" she said making her hands in fists...

Julia didn't say anything else and looked at Lars, who was standing by the wall with his arms crossed...

"Why didn't you talk to me earlier? You knew that if it's true and your friend is the one being captive we could have dissuaded this."

Alisa nodded. She knew that but her feelings of wanting to protect her friend were deeper than another Mishima war. She gathered her courage and looked at him eye-to-eye...

"If I was in telling you, I know that you would try to look for her but if Kazuya Mishima was watching our moves, he would set his eyes on her. I trust you that you wouldn't hurt her but I wouldn't risk her safety by any means. However, what I'm saying is just talk. I don't even know where she is."

"I get it" he said and smiled at her... "She's your friend and you don't want her to get hurt."

Alisa nodded. She was happy once again that Lars wasn't mad at her...

"Listen, if she's the one Heihachi's talking about, we'll save her. That's a promise!"

She looked at both Lars and Julia and smiled...

"Yes, we will!"

Sometime later, Lars was found alone in his office by Tougou. Julia alongside Alisa left to get a better look at Julia's workplace from now on. She had to get used to it, since it was her first time being a leader in a section. Lars considered Julia's words. He knew that deep inside, even though he didn't say it, that he wanted to deal with Heihachi by himself. However, he dismissed the thought after thinking that with his father being vulnerable right now with no much power, it would be easier to get rid of him once and for all. In other words, he had to let go of his personal grudges for the time being, even though he found the chance rather...tasty.

Tougou was standing by the door without walking inside and he was just watching his friend being in deep thought. He assumed that this state of his had something to do with the letter Lars received. The soldier didn't tell him anything specific, he just said that the captain wanted to see him and as soon as he finished his job, he made his way to the Zaibatsu's headquarters.

After realizing that Lars wasn't going to pay attention to his intrusion, he walked inside and approached him. When he found himself in front of his office, he kicked it hard, even though that hurt him a little, and by scaring him he got his attention. Lars' eyes widened and looked at his friend in front of him...

"Why did you do that?"

"Since when are you getting so easily lost in your thoughts? You were always on alert while in work."

Lars smiled...

"Sure I know but this was when we were thrown into the battlefield, this one year from the time I took over the Zaibatsu, I'm always sitting on my butt doing nothing less but thinking."

"Right but since you're realizing it yourself, don't you think you should practice a little with us? I'm not talking about when you're training by yourself, by the way. You know what I mean."

"Yeah...you're right and I believe that practicing with the soldiers once again might help them gain their confidence."

Tougou sat on a chair and smiled teasingly at Lars' last comment...

"Oh I see! Someone thinks too highly of himself."

"Well..."

"I'm joking...I like that you're starting to be like you used to be."

Lars bowed his head to his friend and said...

"I'm just following your orders, sir!"

The two friends laughed slightly and then Lars said after remembering why he asked him to come...

"Anyway...To get to the point, did Nina, maybe, call you?"

Tougou crossed his arms and said looking at the floor...

"Sure she did, since someone wasn't answering his phone."

"And what's on her end?" he said ignoring his friend's sarcastic tone...

"In about an hour, she'll be here with the new guy."

Lars sighed in relief and rested his body on the back of his seat...

"At last, some satisfying news...To say the truth I was quite concerned about that. Not that I don't trust her...but still."

The black haired man, then, stood up and said...

"That was all you wanted to tell me?"

"No...I wanted your advice for something."

Tougou's eyes widened in surprise. Was that man in front of him his longtime friend? Did he just say that he wanted advice from him? Lars frowned after seeing his friend's face expression. He was sure that he was mocking him...

"You serious?!"

"What's with that look? Can't I ask for advice from my trustworthy friend?"

"Well...nothing's wrong with that but...don't you find it confusing? You, the captain Lars Alexandersson, are asking for advice? That's new!"

"Tch...Will you listen to me?"

He sat once again on the chair and motioned for his friend to talk...

"I believe that you know about the letter."

"The one, which arrived in the morning?" Lars nodded... "Sure, I do know. What's with that? Who send it?"

"Heihachi Mishima did. I don't say that I didn't expect this but I'm quite unprepared and confused."

"Confused about what?"

Even though Lars knew what kind of advice Tougou would give him, he said...

"I'm wondering if I should confront him on my own or not?"

"Give me that letter!"

Lars obeyed him after watching his expression. Maybe, it was a bad idea to ask him but when he would learn later about that, he was sure Tougou would be angry, since he was always concerned about his friend's well being. Tougou read the letter after taking it from Lars' hands. When he finished, he folded it once again and gave it back to him...

"Just don't dare to spout nonsense like that ever again. Here says that he has a person, he holds hostage. Obviously, it is a trap and you know it but I guess it's not that an excuse for you to meet only the two of you. He will have an abuse waiting for you, there. And of course everything's possible with that old man. He, indeed, might have someone there."

Lars nodded. Tougou was just so easy to read or not...Maybe, it was because his friend was always the place on the back of his head, which he calls "rationality" and "conscience". He could think about them but he always needed him to point them out. What to say? Lars was a fiery and impulsive man, even though while he was serving as a soldier his actions were limited to what a soldier must do. But from the time he became the captain of Yggdrasil and now the leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu, he needed a person to think as he used to think in the past as a soldier. Obviously, both times he saw that person in Tougou's face and not only because he had this kind of character on his own but because he was the one he trusted the most out of all the people around him...

"Judging from your face, I guess you agree with me. I will prepare some of our men to accompany you."

"Fine...Let me know when you're done."

"Sure...But say, are you going to wait for Nina?"

He nodded...

"I see. If you need anything...you know." he said and bowed to him. After all, he was still his boss...

With that Tougou made his way to the exit and left once again Lars alone with him thinking in what way they could finish off Heihachi. That's why he needed Nina. In sneak attacks she was, of course, the ideal one...

 **G-Corporation, Entrance...**

Panda kept her word and brought Xiaoyu to the G-corporation's headquarters. Both of them were surprised with the sight in front of them. Of course, they weren't in town and didn't know of what Kazuya did, which was just what Jin did two years ago. He put soldiers all over the company. She had come up with a similar situation when she tried to dissuade Jin and because she couldn't approach him peacefully, she entered the tournament. In the end, all these actions of hers were useless...

She hopped off of Panda and looked around her once again. No soldier noticed her. Obviously they had more serious things to do than to notice a petite girl's presence. However, she wasn't going to sneak inside. Xiaoyu smirked playfully...Anna wanted to play, right? She wasn't going to disappoint her. She shook her head after placing her thoughts in a row and started to make her way to the soldiers, who were guarding the entrance. When she was ready to move, she heard Panda growling. Xiaoyu stopped and looked behind her. She knew that her pet didn't want her to do that but she didn't have another choice. Kazuya would kill Miharu if she wouldn't go. She wouldn't be able to live with such guilt inside her heart. She approached her panda and kneeled in front of her after checking again that they weren't in the soldiers' field of vision. She rubbed the top of her furred head and said...

"I'm sorry, Panda. I know you want to protect me but you need to stay here. Kazuya won't kill me because he needs me, you on the other hand won't stop from killing you. I don't want that, ok?"

Panda growled again. She didn't care for herself if only Xiaoyu was safe. But on the other hand she had to take in consideration her own feelings...

"Don't be like that! You know me, don't you? I'm too stubborn to let that idiot freak hurt me."

She stood up once again and looked down at her...

"I have no idea what they want but I'll make sure that I'll come back with Miharu next to me"

Panda didn't protest. She let Xiaoyu do as she wishes but she only hoped that she'll come back, even without Miharu. All that mattered to her was her mistress' safety. Xiaoyu smiled at her pet and made her way to G-corporation after saying...

"I'll make it through. Grandpa Heihachi taught me well."

With that Xiaoyu disappeared from her eyesight...

Even though, she said these words to her pet, she was still frightened. Not because of what Kazuya was going to do to her...well, maybe she was a little scared of that, too...but the main thing was if they have already hurt Miharu. She was thinking about since when was that message written? Was it too late already? She stopped her feet from moving when the four soldiers looked at her. One of them said holding his gun and walking to her place...

"What do you want here, missy? I would suggest you to leave."

"I'm here to see Anna Williams"

The soldiers looked at each other. They didn't remember Anna telling them that she was waiting for someone. And it was true, no one let them know of a girl, maybe, arriving here one of these days...

"We have no information on Mrs. Williams waiting for someone. Leave before you ran into trouble."

However, Xiaoyu insisted...

"Do me a favor and let her know that her prey arrived because if you don't, you'll be the one in trouble."

The soldier turned back and motioned for two of them to come next to him. He, then, turned to Xiaoyu and said...

"I'm sorry, then...I know, it's a pity since you're having a kind of sweet face but work comes first" he looked at the other two and said... "Guys help me get rid of her."

Then, the three pointed their guns at her but Xiaoyu just smirked confusing them. She placed her hands at each side of her hips and said letting out a sigh...

"I can't count how many times I've heard that already. Anyway, I can't say I blame you. The whole Tekken Force knows of me, too bad you don't. I, somehow, pity you."

They were thinking about what this girl was saying. Was she crazy? Or did she have a death wish? They heard her once again...

"Why don't you come here guys?"

Xiaoyu wasn't intending on getting into a fight with them but they started to get onto her nerves. She tried to finish them off quickly, so she didn't use her own complex moves but decide to make use of Heihachi's on a real target this time. The soldiers, who were getting her punches and kicks, were wondering why somebody wasn't helping them. It was true that the rest were ready to attack but they were stopped from a woman's arrival and motions...

Anna arrived right away after one of the soldiers let her know. She watched from a distance the amazing show Xiaoyu was giving her but in the same time she realized something...

" _These moves don't belong to her...I'm sure of it! In a way, they look somehow similar to Kazuya's. Maybe, he'll know."_

With one strong kick to each of them on the stomach, she got rid of the three. Even, she was surprised that neither of the other soldiers attacked her. She looked down at them and said with a full of confidence smile...

"Ling Xiaoyu's the name. Keep that in your mind, if we ever meet again. Hehe..."

Xiaoyu turned her body to make her way inside by herself but she stopped when she heard someone clapping for her...

"Splendid! Hats off to you...Xiao" said Anna...

She gritted her teeth after coming face to face with the annoying woman. She always believed that Anna wasn't with G-Corporation because it was her job but just to find a way to cross ways with Nina. But what could she say? Xiaoyu, from the time she met her, thought of her as a ridiculous person with no serious goals and only aiding someone because of her personal grudges. That was Anna for you, Xiaoyu thought. She wondered if she even knew what the war's purpose was two years ago...

"Save the flattery! Just say...where is Miharu? Is she safe?"

Anna placed her finger under her chin...

"Your friend, eh?"

Xiaoyu made her hands in grips seeing Anna making fun of her...

"You wish to see her?"

"Yes! Just tell me is she safe?"

"Why don't I let you find out by yourself?"

Xiaoyu was confused with Anna's behavior. Why did they ask her to come? To joke around?

"Follow me." said Anna walking inside the building.

The black haired girl stayed still for a moment but, then, she realized that she didn't have another choice if she wanted to save Miharu. In the end, she followed behind Anna. The two walked to the elevator and Anna pressed the button for the underground. Xiaoyu was scared. How was she going to see Miharu? What if the only thing she would face would be a dead corpse? The doors of the elevator opened and they walked out of it. Anna turned to her left and opened a black door. The lights were turned on automatically and they started to walk further with Xiaoyu following as always the woman in front of her. One minute later Anna stopped and turned to Xiaoyu. She smirked and said...

"We're here."

Anna pressed a button and the door opened. She stepped aside and Xiaoyu rushed inside to see her friend. She fell on her knees with the sight in front of her. Miharu was beaten all over her body. Why did they have to go that far? She knew that it wasn't Kazuya, who asked something like that. If it was him, he would simply kill her. Such thing would only come from Anna's sadistic behavior. She walked slowly to her side and caressed her hair trying not to hurt her swollen face. Anna was just watching her enjoying the girl's helpless situation. Xiaoyu looked hurt at her...

"Why did you do that to her?"

Anna said naturally at her...

"I thought you knew already how things work in G. After all, we have some history together."

Xiaoyu looked at Miharu's sleeping face. Of course, she knew where Anna was referring to. She couldn't forget Shin Kamiya's death cry after Heihachi killed him. Somewhere in her heart, she blamed Jin as well. Even though he was there to make sure Shin wouldn't fall victim in the hands of Kazuya, he still didn't do anything to prevent his early death. It was all just so unfair...For Shin, for Alisa...for her...Xiaoyu was positive that Shin would be a nice friend to her and Alisa. In the end, nothing happened and the boy died without even his body being buried. Such disgrace...

In the same time, she was wondering what Alisa might be thinking for all these. Did she blame anyone? Or tried to put a smile to cover her sadness?

Xiaoyu looked once again at the hateful woman standing by the door...

"Anna...The only thing I know, for sure, is that you're just like your sister. An emotionless pathetic being with no one to love and no one to love her, aren't you pitiful in other words?"

Anna gritted her teeth...

"How dare you?!"

Xiaoyu stood up silently and walked passed Anna...

"Did I hurt your "feelings"? My apologies..."

She decided not to give another comments. She knew that Kazuya was going to deal "nicely" with her. She closed the door and walked in front of Xiaoyu...

"Shouldn't we go now?"

The girl was confused not listening to Anna talking back. She nodded and the two made their way to Kazuya's office...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters Entrance...**

Nina Williams walked outside one of the Zaibatsu's car. She stood there for some time, while waiting for the man, who was riding with her to walk to her side. They could be in Japan even yesterday but this man next to her needed to end some busyness and they had to wait till morning to do that. When he did they started to walk inside with some soldiers walking behind them. Nina was walking fast and Hwoarang was trying to catch up. He had never being inside the Zaibatsu ever again and so the tall buildings were kind of an admirable sight in front of him. But the reason why he admired them wasn't because they were beautiful but because he was sure of what kind of despicable things happened inside them...cruel and inhumane things...

"In contrast to his brother, the young guy didn't surround the place with soldiers...I'm surprised!" he said catching up to her...

"Yeah...He plays it the guy next door. I warned him that it would be for the best if we would do it like this but he didn't want to. All I have to say is that his carelessness will be his downfall"

He put his hands inside his pockets after placing his bag on his left shoulder and smiled...

"Who knows? But isn't that what Jin did? Maybe, that was what he wanted to avoid. As I suppose from the things you told me, he wants to have the public on his side."

Nina looked at him...

"Beats me...To tell you the truth I didn't really care back then to tell you if that is what he wants to avoid."

He smirked...

"You mean that you care now?"

She started walking again and the man followed her...

"Kinda? I think you'll agree with me but I was quite bored of the usual roster."

"Huh?!" he said with a confused expression on his face...

"Kazuya, Jin, Heihachi and all over again...An assassin's worst nightmare. I mean, I want to expand my professional horizons and now with having a new person in the picture, I guess I'll have this chance."

Hwoarang laughed at her and she smiled at her words. It was somehow new for her to humor situations related to her work and when she realized it she tried to regain her serious profile. She had made an agreement with herself. Her humor would be limited and it would always concern Anna's torturing...

"Seriously now, after that comment of yours...Do you honestly believe that this guy is different?"

"You mean if he wants to end this bloodline even by killing himself? Something like Jin?"

"Well...yeah"

They stopped when they were waiting for the elevator to open...

"Nah..." she smiled and said trying to mimic Lars' words... "This guy wants to live his life and he's gonna do whatever is possible for his dear ones to do the same."

Hwoarang laughed once again...Louder than before...

"He did say that, right?" he said while entering the elevator alongside Nina...

"How could you tell?" she said sarcastically...

"I'm wondering myself..." He mutterer and the elevator's doors closed...

 **G-Corporation Headquarters, Kazuya's office...**

Kazuya was sitting on his office's seat. He was somehow restless. He watched Xiaoyu's brawl with his soldiers and he was amazed. Not because of her new found strength but because he saw her using the Mishima Fighting style. There was no wonder. This girl went to find Heihachi, after she left. Could it be that his "possible" grandchild was with him? He gripped his hands. This girl was doing one stupid thing after another. Well, he thought it would be stupider from her to come to him instead of Heihachi. Even in Kazuya's mind, Xiaoyu wasn't that naïve.

The opening door interrupted his thoughts and Anna Williams walked inside with her usual smile. Kazuya looked at her but he still didn't see any trace of the girl he wanted to see. Anna opened the door further and said mockingly...

"Come inside, dear...Don't be shy!"

Xiaoyu walked inside and faced Kazuya's cold gaze. That didn't fright her. She believed that she had the courage to deal with him now. She had already come up with his cruelness enough times. He smirked and his red eye pierced Xiaoyu's chest. It hurt her...for an unknown reason to her, it really did. Her eyes widened and she held it tightly with her hand. Anna and Kazuya watched her. Something was different with her, both of them noticed that. Anna believed that, indeed, maybe Kazuya was right. She feared his reaction. Not because she pitied the girl or her child but when he was under such state, when he didn't know what to do, he was uncontrollable even though he knew how to control the devil gene. Xiaoyu brought her gaze to face Kazuya and said...

"I'm here as you asked. What do you want?"

He stood up and made his way to her. He eyed her whole body for any changes and she felt uncomfortable. What was with this? He walked behind her and touched her black hair, which were wrapped in a low ponytail. Her hair in these two years got longer and it was tiring getting them in her usual pigtails. Usual...Maybe it wasn't just that. She wasn't her usual self, how was it possible for her hair to be like that? Maybe in the end, she didn't have the inner strength to do that. Kazuya's small grip on her hair made her shiver. From her hair she felt his cold hands all over her body.

Kazuya felt the girl's uneasiness. While eyeing her, the only thing he was thinking was how he would manage to get rid of her. He gripped the edge of her ponytail tightly and pulled it. Xiaoyu closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. He opened his hand a little but suddenly a sharp pain in his head made him release her. Kazuya held both sides of his head. It was this unfamiliar feeling once again with the difference that it caused him physical pain. Both Anna and Xiaoyu were taken aback by this. He seemed confused and clueless. When he found his composure he wiped his forehead and walked to his office once again...

"Since you were so obedient and came on your own, I'll make it quick"

"Say it...I j-just want my friend back."

He smirked...

"You'll have her, if only you'll be honest with me. For example, did it happen for you to meet Jin the day before he left for Egypt?"

Her eyes widened. Thankfully she was looking on the floor and they didn't see her face. However, she was sure they felt her tension. She shook negatively her head. Kazuya slammed his fists on his office and walked furious, once again, in front of her. He grabbed her from the collar of her blouse and said...

"Don't lie to me, girl. You know what I'm capable of doing if you disobey me."

Xiaoyu stayed still. Panicking would make the situation worse...

"Your words and threats mean nothing to me. You know...I'm good in telling lies but I would never do that when a dear person to me is in danger."

He released her...

"Then, be a nice girl and tell me."

She watched as Kazuya walked away from her and she crossed her arms...

"Tell you? Easy...Just tell me what you want to hear."

He smiled and crossed his arms as well...

"What about what happened between you and my son on that rooftop you met each other?"

Anna and Xiaoyu's eyes widened. How did he know? Xiaoyu was sure that Jin chose that place for their privacy or better safety. Anna was equally confused. Since he knew of all these why did he ask her to make all that investigation? He would know better than anyone if something happened between them...

"K-Kazuya, how..." Anna started to say before Xiaoyu's interruption...

"How do you know of that?" she said looking at his eyes...

"Since I'm not from the most patient people on earth and can't accept failure..." he looked at Anna "I need to do some things on my own." He said once again looking at the young woman in front of him...

She swallowed hard and started thinking of something to say...

"S-Since you saw us, you must know what happened...There's no reason of me being here."

"I don't think it goes that way...Anyway, I don't care of what you talked about with him, what I want from you is an answer."

"That's why I'm here, right? Just tell me."

"Did you two become intimate?"

Xiaoyu's eyes widened. Not because she felt embarrassed of what Kazuya said but because she didn't expect such question coming from him. When she was coming she thought that he would ask her if she had any idea where Jin was or at least she hoped that it would be something like that. That would mean that Jin was truly alive. She had assumed that both Jin and Kazuya felt each other's presence, since whenever one of them was somewhere the other one would appear. She had learned from experience...

She raised her head and looked at him. She couldn't hold it anymore and she started laughing uncontrollably...

Anna looked surprised at her and then to Kazuya's side. He was surprised, as well, but he maintained his previous face expression. She placed her hand on her mouth to stop herself from laughing...

"Oh yes, Kazuya...How could you tell?"

She stopped from sometime and looked at Anna's priceless clueless face and Kazuya's confused one...

"You know what? You're right!" she said pointing at him... "Your son, Jin Kazama, and I became intimate that night on the rooftop." She turned to look once again at Anna...

"Pretty romantic, right Anna?" she said sarcastically...

Anna smiled for a moment and crossed her arms. She was sure that nothing happened between the two and the girl was trying to hide her embarrassment by making a fool out of Kazuya. Clever but did Kazuya buy it? She doubted it...

"I was worried if that day would come. I was so afraid but since you're keeping hostage my precious friend, I'll have to be honest. The result, in other words of this intercourse, was three children. Oh! You listened right. It was triplets...and they are sharing your devil gene. I believe this was what you wanted to learn since you're asking so seriously."

He closed his eyes. That girl, in front of him, dared to joke with him...

"You think, I'd believe this bullshit of yours?!"

Xiaoyu's mocking smile disappeared from her face...

"I'm glad you don't. That means that you recognize Jin's determination to end this bloodline and that he doesn't do things just to satisfy his own self. He cares of other people's feelings, unlike you and what you did...to his mother."

Kazuya walked angrily to her side and grabbed her from her neck. Anna panicked. He couldn't just kill her inside here. Xiaoyu was struggling really hard to break free from his grip. She believed that this would be her end when she felt him raising her from the ground. While he was thinking to finish her off with tightening his grip, he felt once again the sharp pain in his head and then Anna's hand trying to remove his hands from Xiaoyu's neck. He was shocked and that was something that made him release her by himself. He dropped her on the floor and she started coughing to regain the rhythm of her breathing...

"Kazuya, what were you thinking? You couldn't just kill her here?"

He didn't bother answering her but he looked at the girl on the floor when she said...

"You should have let him. Since, I didn't have an appropriate answer for him, I guess I deserved that."

"Are you insane?!"

"Anna" said Kazuya interrupting her... "Prepare the dojo."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion...

" _Prepare the dojo? What for?_ Huh?"

He looked at Xiaoyu, who was starting to stand on her feet and said...

"You want to take your friend back, right?"

She stayed still...

"Fight me. If your attribution satisfies me. Win or not, you're leaving with her."

"Be serious, Kazuya. You fighting her would be pointless."

Kazuya looked at her and then to Xiaoyu...

"I don't think so. These two last years, this young lady had been training with my old man."

"What?!" said Anna...

Xiaoyu was confused. How did he know? Anna was thinking the same thing. If he knew where she was why all that fuss about searching for her?

"Couldn't you tell?"

Anna looked at her as well. It was true that she seemed stronger than before. She noticed her change in fighting style when she was fighting the soldiers...

"I-Indeed... _It wasn't like this was entirely the fighting style, she used to have_ "

Kazuya smiled at her...

"So? What are you saying?"

Xiaoyu didn't have another choice but to obey...

"Fine...I accept!" she said and smiled as well...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters, Lars' office...**

Lars and Alisa were inside his office. He had ordered something for Alisa to eat. He knew that this would cheer her up. She had told him that. He remembered what Alisa told him once about that. He laughed at her statement. Not because what she said was something funny but because he didn't know where she learned such lines. On the other hand someone could call it funny since it was coming from Alisa...

" _A wonderful meal causes the temporary pleasure, sex does."_

He laughed once again when he remembered that line of hers. Where did she hear it from? Did she know what "sex" is? By the way, Miharu was the one, who said it. Xiaoyu started clapping for the catchy line Miharu came up with. It was true that Alisa didn't understand but seeing them laughing and Xiaoyu clapping...well, it should have been something admirable. That was what Alisa's innocent mind believed...

Lars covered his mouth for Alisa to not see him laughing, however even though he tried, Alisa noticed him...

"Senpai, why are you laughing? Did I do something funny? I always keep doing things like that." She said with a sad face...

"No, no! And it's not a bad thing doing funny things, right? You bring laughter to people, who need it."

"So, I really did something funny."

"Don't misunderstand, it's just that I'm seeing you really enjoying your meal. Is it that tasty?"

Alisa nodded happily...

"Yes! You should have ordered what I did."

Lars crossed his arms and said...

"Next time, I will. Now, enjoy your food."

Alisa continued eating happily until both hers and Lars' gazes moved to the entrance door, where Nina Williams and the man next to her walked in from...

She stood up and bowed to both of them. None paid attention to her, even though Hwoarang gave her a glance. Lars smiled when he saw him. " _Good job, Nina! Seems like you won the raise"_ he thought...

"We're here, Lars. And I want to believe that you still remember what you promised me." she said crossing her arms...

He smiled and nodded...

"I remember, Nina, don't worry." He turned to his guest and said... "I'm glad seeing that you agreed to visit me."

He scratched the back of his head...

"Whatever...just tell me what you want."

"I'd like to apologize but you'll have to wait for a while. We have an emergency." Said Lars and looked at Nina...

"What kind of?" she said suspiciously...

Lars took out of his pocket the letter and gave it to Nina...

"Read this."

She opened it and Hwoarang as the curious type that he was moved closer to her to read as well...

"What is it about?"

Nina annoyed moved away but Lars said looking at him...

"Heihachi Mishima challenged us."

The woman folded the letter and gave it back to his owner. Hwoarang grinned and said...

"Interesting!"

Lars smiled at him and he looked at Alisa when he watched her as she grabbed his sleeve...

"We have to go there fast."

Lars touched her hands and said trying to reassure her...

"Alisa, didn't I tell you? You don't have to worry. If your Xiao-onesan is the person, he's talking about, we're going to save her. I promise you that."

Hwoarang was taken aback when he heard that familiar name. Could it be? He didn't find it impossible. This girl was always putting herself in harm's way and she was making him worry somehow. It was true that they were a little well acquainted but no one except the two of them knew of that...

"W-Wait a minute..." he said gaining their attention... "When you say "Xiao-onesan", you mean Ling Xiaoyu?"

All of them looked surprised at him...

"Yes...You know her?" said Lars...

He waved his hands...

"Uh...just by name...No personal interactions." He said lying...

Lars nodded and Nina said finally...

"Well, what are we doing? I guess we don't have all day."

"I talked with Tougou and he said that he'll have some of the soldiers ready for me."

Nina raised an eyebrow...

"Soldiers!? That's not like you, hero? Am I right?"

Lars smiled...

"Yeah...But on the other hand, it's a lot like Tougou and I decided that it's not a good idea to oppose him this time."

"I see...Shall we move it then? I'll give him a call."

"Sure" he then looked at Hwoarang and said... "Will you join us? I mean, since you find it interesting. On the other hand, I believe that this might be my chance to convince you for joining me as well."

Hwoarang nodded...

"F-Fine... _I have to make sure she's out of trouble or else I'm gonna die from guilt._ I'm right behind you"

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **G-Corporation, Kazuya's secret dojo...**

Xiaoyu accepted gladly Kazuya's offer. She didn't understand why he made such request but it didn't matter to her. If she was going to take Miharu and leave after that, then so be it. It wasn't like she had to beat him, even though that would be a surprising change of events. She knew her place and what kind of abilities she had. She may have been training with Heihachi these two years and even having mastered the moves he taught her but there was, also, a thing she lucked in contrast to Kazuya...Strength. She, of course, knew that she had to have this as well in order to defeat Jin but she wasn't ready for that, yet. However, she had something up her sleeve that Kazuya didn't have...Speed. It was known that in the tournament she was the fastest contestant and that made her being admired in some degree. Even though, her grandfather was always scolding her for her carelessness, he was still proud of her and believed that she could achieve true greatness if she was a little more serious...

Both Anna and Xiaoyu were waiting for Kazuya to arrive to the dojo, where they were waiting for him for some minutes by now. Anna thought that, he may have gone to change into his karate pants but what was the point. This fight would last less than fifteen minutes, he wouldn't even manage to sweat. She sighed and leaned her back on the wall. She glanced at Xiaoyu and saw her determent yet frightened expression. What was that for? If she wasn't ready why did she accept? But on the other hand she didn't have another choice. She nodded to herself and that time she heard footsteps walking inside. She raised her head and watched Kazuya walking in the middle of the dojo, taking his place opposite Xiaoyu. He smirked and said...

"I'm looking forward in testing what this old man taught you."

Xiaoyu took her fighting stance and said...

"I'll try not to disappoint you."

Anna Williams was watching the fight. She noticed how Kazuya was holding back somehow but she couldn't understand the reason. On the other hand, Xiaoyu was putting all the effort she had. She had to admit that she was quite good but no match to Kazuya's strength and technique. But still...Why wasn't he finishing her off?

" _What's the point in fighting her? What is he having inside his mind? I'm so clueless..."_

Back in the fight between Kazuya and Xiaoyu, things were quite dull that Kazuya thought of finish her off at last because of his boredom. Maybe, she mastered the moves but she didn't have the strength to make them have an effect on him. But still he had to award her for being brave enough to face him...

Xiaoyu was starting to get tired but the worst thing was that Kazuya wasn't even sweating. She had landed some attacks on him but nothing that would let him lose his pace. She started to get disappointed with herself. Both Miharu and herself were doomed...

Being swallowed in her thoughts, she didn't notice when Kazuya's punch made contact with her stomach. He sent her to the other side of the dojo and she didn't even manage to let out a pain cry. Her back made contact with the wall and she fell on the ground. Kazuya smirked and Anna looked at him...

" _That was it? Not that I didn't expect it, though..."_

Xiaoyu didn't pass out, even though she wanted it. However, she couldn't let them do what they wanted with her. She stayed on the floor and felt Kazuya walking to her. She closed her eyes tightly. Was he going to give her the final blow?

...

Her eyes widened when she felt a sharp pain above her eyebrows. She watched as her body stood up by itself but still she wasn't the one moving it. Something or someone had control all over her body. Was it Kazuya? She released the thought when she watched his surprised expression...

" _What is happening to me?! That pain...I felt it before when Kazuya touched me. I'm s-scared..."_

Indeed, Kazuya was walking to her side to finish her but in the middle he felt that unfamiliar pain inside his head once again. He fell on his knees and watched at the girl in front of him, who was starting to stand on her feet.

Anna, after she saw Kazuya falling on his knees, started to walk to his side but when she noticed Xiaoyu standing up stopped. She was confused. Where did she find the strength to do that? And it wasn't like Kazuya was easy on her. He sent her to the other side of the dojo...

...

Little by little, Xiaoyu lost all the control of her body. It was like another soul entered her body. Kazuya managed to stand on his feet but he was taken aback when he saw the girl running to him. He took his fighting stance without letting his gaze off the girl. She started with punches, which Kazuya even though was still confused managed to dodge...

" _These moves don't belong in her fighting style or the Mishima one. This is...No..."_

This went on for a while until "Xiaoyu" grabbed him from his head and flipped him in the air making him fall on the floor. She stood there looking down on him and he raised his head looking at the girl in front of him. His eyes widened when he saw the figure changing little by little in front of him...

Anna looked at him, who had not a confused expression anymore but a frightened one. It was a first for her seeing him like that...

In Kazuya's eyes were coming pictures of his past and more specifically of a certain woman...His moments with her and everything...The girl's figure in front of him disappeared and was replaced with the one of that woman's. She started walking to his side and he was there looking at her. He had forgotten of his surroundings and everything else. His mind was occupied with this woman's existence. He understood now. That was this unfamiliar feeling he had back there...

" _Kazuya? Why are you doing this? Come back to me…Please"_

The woman looked sadly at him and tried to touch him but with all his left mind power, he backed away. He looked at the floor and he started feeling as himself again. He touched his chest and saw Anna's shadow above him. He looked at her and noticed her confused expression. He was sure that he was the only one, who saw that woman. He then remembered Xiaoyu...

"Kazuya, what's wrong? You looked somehow out of it."

He didn't bother answering her...

"Where's the girl?"

Anna pointed him where Xiaoyu was. She had passed out. When Anna saw her fainting thought that Kazuya might have done something to her with his devil gene's power but she realized she was wrong when she saw him being completely pale and out of his senses...

"Over there...She passed out. What's wrong with her? Did you do anything?"

Kazuya stood up...

"That woman..." he whispered...

Anna looked confused at him...

"Huh? Who are you talking about?"

He looked at her and then started to walk outside holding his head...

"What am I supposed to do with her?"

He stopped for a minute...

"Let both her and her friend go."

"What?!"

"We have no further use of her...Do that and don't let anyone bother me until I let you know."

"But you said that you would need her."

"Do as I said."

She nodded...

"As you wish"

 **Mishima Estate...**

Heihachi Mishima was meditating as always in the backyard of the estate. He was informed that the letter he ordered to be delivered to Lars was already in his son's possession. All he had to do now was to wait. For an unknown reason he asked from Xiaoyu to stay on alert and keep herself safe. He didn't tell her that with a deep meaning in it. It was just some words to make her believe that he wasn't planning anything and he wanted always her wellbeing. He didn't see her this morning and assumed that she must have left early. That was good for him if, of course, Lars was going to come...He was sure of it...

Lars Alexandersson arrived at the Mishima Estate. It wasn't a long distant drive since the mansion was only thirty minutes outside the city, however, these minutes were enough to make both Alisa and Hwoarang anxious and restless for their own reasons. They stepped out of the small van along with the six soldiers Tougou had prepared for him and approached the gate. The one missing was Nina, who Lars entrusted a difficult mission to...

He made eye contact with the men, who were guarding the gate and one of them said approaching them...

"Are you here to meet Mr. Mishima?" said the man...

"You invited me, shouldn't you be the one to know?"

The man didn't answer and Lars said again...

"Anyway, inform your boss that his guest arrived."

The man nodded and walked inside the gate to find Heihachi...

Lars and the people behind him watched the man disappearing but the others staying still there guarding the gate. He gathered Alisa and Hwoarang around him and whispered...

"Alisa, stick close to me. Whatever you listen from this man, don't act impulsively, ok?"

She nodded looking at the ground. Lars was asking something important from her and if she was to do otherwise she could maybe destroy Lars' entire plan...

" _Isn't that girl a robot? How the hell is she supposed to act on impulse? Well...on the other hand, she felt quite worried because of Xiaoyu. Fuck...I don't get it at all."_ Thought Hwoarang not listening to Lars, who was talking to him...

"Hwoarang? I'm being talking to you for a while now" said Lars taking his attention this time...

"Eh? I'm sorry, what did you want?"

"You were provided with a gun but you're not yourself prepared for battle." Hwoarang rolled his eyes irritated... "Don't act on your own, are we clear?" said Lars with a serious look on his face...

"F-Fine...but then, what are we supposed to do?"

Lars thought about it for some time...

"I'm sure that the old man will want to face me on his own. While on that, Alisa, you'll check the entire place for some traces of your friend. Hwoarang, you're with Alisa. She will need your help. Well...I guess that's all and...Oh yes! Get rid of every obstacle you'll find on your way and of course do not even mention Nina's name."

"We're not stupid, Alexandersson..." said Hwoarang as if Lars was saying to him something offending...

Lars sighed...

"I'm just making it clear, I never said that you..."

"Quiet, the guy is here" he said interrupting him...

The man bowed in front of Lars and said showing them the way inside...

"Follow me, sir. Mr. Mishima is waiting for you."

They followed the man inside the estate and he led them in the back garden, where Heihachi was waiting for them. Lars saw him standing there with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on him. He clenched his fists. At first, he thought that he could deal with him just like he would do with any other enemy but his father's figure and his whole existence made him remember why he hated him once again. He never forgot but he was able to keep it inside him all these years. Only Tougou knew Lars' personal reason and that was because he wanted to share it with someone when he wasn't, still, confident with his feelings and how he would manage to hide them when he needed to.

Heihachi looked at his youngest son, who was standing before him. He remembered when Lars told him, the first time they met, that he was his son. At first, he didn't believe him. He was just like a foreigner of a different human race. But then all his doubts disappeared when he witnessed his power. That was a power only a Mishima would possess. Moreover, he hardly managed to remember the woman he had this son with. She must have been pretty glamorous since she gained his attention in the first place...

"Son, I'm glad you accepted my "invitation"."

Lars crossed his arms as well...

"I would be an idiot, if I wouldn't grab this chance, right?"

"Chance, eh? I thought you were here to take the girl, since you're that kind of a man, the sympathetic one."

He dropped his arms to his sides and said...

"Of course, I mean, if you actually have her."

Heihachi sighed and that made Lars think that he might have hurt her already. Was he really too late? Alisa wasn't going to forgive him if that was true. In the same time something snapped inside Hwoarang. He wasn't paying attention to the conversation till the time Xiaoyu's whereabouts were mentioned. He saw Heihachi's expression as well. Could it be? Were they too late? His chest tightened and so did Lars'...

"Xiao-onesan!" said Alisa making her way enraged to Heihachi's place until she felt Hwoarang's hand around her arm...

She looked at him and remembered what she promised Lars. To not act on her own, this was still a mission and she had to listen to her superior. Heihachi smirked...

"The little Miss understood who I was talking about. I'm impressed."

"Did you dare to harm the girl?" said Lars trying to keep himself from going to comfort Alisa...

There was a one minute pause from him. All of them were looking eagerly to his place waiting for an answer. Finally, he talked...

"No reason to harm her since I knew you would come. She has already left."

"You mean she was staying here with you the whole time?!" said Hwoarang surprised...

He nodded looking at the young man in front of him...

"It's been almost two years by now. By her own free will she came and asked me to train her. I can't blame her for wanting to find shelter by my side. Xiaoyu is a person with a bright future ahead of her if she acts smart and one of the people I give credit to."

"Even if you say all that, this doesn't change the fact that you might have hurt her...It wouldn't be the first time you would put her in danger just to fulfill your purpose." He said looking at the ground and released Alisa's arm from his grip...

"For an outsider you know quite a lot I have to say."

Lars looked Alisa's relieved face and smiled in the inside. He, then, turned to face his father and said...

"Don't change the subject! For an unknown reason I believe that you haven't hurt the girl. Now say what you want."

"As I see you right now I have to say that, unlike your brothers and your nephew, you would make an acceptable heir and capable to bear the last name "Mishima", even though you are the son I neglected the most."

Lars looked at the ground and smiled...

"And the luckiest on top of that...Anyway, state your business."

He nodded...

"Alright...I'll get to the point. What if we join forces?"

"Do what? Are you thinking of me as an idiot? You have nothing of being useful to me."

"You're wrong. We both want to get rid of Kazuya. Once I almost did it and as his father I know him better than anyone. I know what kind of vulnerabilities he has."

Lars stayed silent for a moment...

"Well, you have a point but on the other hand, one could say that Kazuya and I want the same thing as well. To get rid of you...He believes he has time for you later but I don't think so. The sooner you're out of the picture the better. Get ready to enjoy the last fight of your life."

He smirked...

"You sure think highly of yourself, young one."

"What are you talking about? I have never thought of you as a threat. I wanted to show you a little respect by giving you the chance to deal with me in a fight, since I really think of you as one of the most talented fighters I've ever met. One could say the best."

"Is that so?"

"Even if I say that myself, in the end I can't stop thinking of you as a piece of trash, let alone a talented fighter. I can't forgive you...How you messed up my mother's life."

Behind Lars, Hwoarang rolled annoyingly his eyes...

" _Another "mommy issue"?! Oh fuck!"_ he thought...

"Fine then...Since I don't even remember this woman there's no meaning in continuing talking, right? Let's talk as we, the Mishimas, do!"

Heihachi took his fighting stance and Lars after seeing that motioned for Alisa and Hwoarang to do what he asked them before. Hwoarang was ready to go until Alisa said to Lars...

"Lars-senpai...Stay safe."

He smiled at her and said before looking again in front of him...

"I'll do my best, Alisa!"

Lars turned to face his father and left Alisa and Hwoarang behind. They watched them for a while as they started fighting each other, until Hwoarang grabbed Alisa's arm and led her away. He caught her by surprise until she remembered their mission...

"I'm sorry, I was a little..." she tried to say but he interrupted her...

"I noticed...Anyway, I wanted to say that we must stick together"

Alisa nodded...

"Yes...umm..." she mumbled trying to think of how she should call him...

He noticed her doubts and said with a small smile...

"You can call me by my name, alright?"

"Sure, thank you!" she said and smiled back...

With that they left to complete their mission...

 **G-Corporation...**

He was still shocked about what happened to his body and mind a while ago. He tried to sleep but he saw her in his dreams. Her pretty face was like a nightmare to him. Even the devil himself has nightmares...It was somehow oxymoron, wasn't it? He had a shower and sometime later he made his way to his office. He was thankful that Anna wasn't inside. She was only a trouble to him. Her being there or not was the same for him. He pulled the chair and sat on it. With both his hands, he grabbed his head and tried to release himself from the torture this woman was bringing him. She was so bothersome...

" _What was that? I was fighting that girl and she appeared. I can't tell...Did she possess this girl's body or did she indeed appear? But if she appeared, the others would have seen her as well. This troublesome woman again in my life...I knew she would be back but why now? The only thing I know for sure is that we will meet each other again and that time I will finish her once and for all"_

 **Tokyo, Miharu's house...**

It's been some minutes since Miharu arrived with Panda and Xiaoyu at her house. When she entered inside she felt safe. She stepped aside for Panda, who was having the unconscious Xiaoyu on her back, to walk inside as well. She felt relieved when Anna opened the door of the room she was in and told her that she was free to leave and she led her at the entrance of G-Corporation. She ran outside and looked around her. She wondered where Xiaoyu might be. Did they hurt her? It was a possibility. Miharu didn't know what to do now. If Xiaoyu was dead she wouldn't bear it. For the time being she tried to walk as far as possible from the soldiers' eyesight. She tried to catch her breath and that time her eye caught Panda being above Xiaoyu, who was lying unconscious on the ground. She rushed there and fell on her knees to check if she was alive or not. Thankfully, she was alive. She looked at Panda and reassured her that her friend was alive. With her remained strength she placed Xiaoyu on Panda's back and asked from the animal to take them home. Panda ran as fast as she could and in some minutes they arrived. Panda was uniquely fast, especially when someone was in danger. When they arrived she hopped off of Panda's back and when she was ready to take the spare pair of keys she was having under the rag, she noticed Xiaoyu's on the door's keyhole. Then, they walked inside...

Miharu helped Panda place Xiaoyu on one of the couches and she walked inside her bathroom to have a shower until Xiaoyu was up. While on the way back she thought, except from the pain her sore body was giving her, about a lot of other things concerning her relationship with Xiaoyu. What was she supposed to tell her when she would wake up? She knew that the last thing she wanted was to be alone with her right now. On the other hand she didn't want to say things she was going to regret afterwards but even though she loved her friend, this event traumatized her. That time she realized that Xiaoyu, indeed, loved everyone equally. It wasn't just Jin in her mind. Of course, she knew that the "love" Xiaoyu felt was different between them but it was as strong as the other one was. She placed herself in danger, just, to save her. She reconsidered some things...

Xiaoyu opened her eyes and looked around her. She noticed the messed up room and then realized that it was Miharu's. Good thing they were safe but how did they get back here? She turned her head and noticed Panda, who walked to her side. She started thinking of Kazuya, their fight and how in the end they made it out of there alive. Suddenly, her thoughts were led to Miharu's whereabouts. Did they come together back here? She tried to stand up and felt dizzy but she managed to stand on her feet in the end. She patted Panda's head and started walking to Miharu's room but stopped when she saw her standing by her room's door...

"Xiao...You're up, finally"

Xiaoyu's face shined from happiness when she saw Miharu safe and sound. The bath she had, helped her find a little her senses and anyone could say that she was feeling a lot better...

"Miharu...you're safe...I'm so happy!" said Xiaoyu and rushed to her side...

She hugged her but her friend stayed still. Xiaoyu noticed the awkwardness between them and released her. She placed her hands on Miharu's shoulders and said...

"Hey? What's wrong?"

Miharu snapped slowly Xiaoyu's hands away from her shoulders and backed away. She had important things to tell her concerning their relationship. They didn't make her happy, of course, but she felt that way. She knew that what she was thinking was making no sense and that she would, maybe, regret it afterwards but her wounds from these two days being captive...were not going to heal that easily...

Xiaoyu had a questionable look on her face. Something was wrong with her. Well, obviously...but the person in front of her wasn't Miharu. Xiaoyu's best friend would be crying all over the place. She would want to eat whatever there was in the fridge, something that Xiaoyu does always by the way, and then use the ultimate therapy called shopping.

She walked passed Xiaoyu and sat on the couch with her friend following her...

"I was really scared, you know..."

"I can understand that. I need to apologize to you. Because of me you found yourself in harm's way. I wanted to be as careful as possible to bring you back safely and..."

"Xiao! Let me talk." Said Miharu interrupting her...

Xiaoyu nodded and let her speak...

"I knew that you would come and for that I thank you. I felt so relieved when that woman let me go but then I saw you being unconscious...I was so afraid for both of our lives and still I can't..."

Xiaoyu placed her hand on Miharu's and said...

"Relax, everything now belongs to the past. Now we're safe and sound, right?"

Miharu's eyes widened...

"Safe and sound?! They beat me up all over my body. I'm still wondering how I made it out alive." She said angrily...

She was taken aback by her friend's sudden outburst. She watched her teary eyes and the only thing she could say was...

"I'm so really sorry...How did I think that you could be back to your usual self after all this?"

"Stop apologizing...You did nothing wrong. You came and saved me. You were a real friend all along. The thing is that I'm just too weak unlike you."

"We're not the same, Miharu."

Miharu smiled slightly and said...

"Yeah...That's true! I'm not as stubborn as you are. You still don't give up even after two years. If I wanted to give you courage I would say that you can't give up but now that I experienced how cruel their world is...I mean, shouldn't you have realized it already? Jin is dead. He's not going to be back. Stop wasting your time and life!"

Xiaoyu stood up and frowned angrily. Miharu just rubbed salt in her wound. Jin's issue was the last thing she wanted to talk about...

"I clearly get that you don't even want to be with me right now but what I'm going to do and how I'm going to waste time is my busyness alone. The only thing I know is the promise Jin gave me and I believe him."

She sighed. From Miharu's perspective Xiaoyu decided to defend herself by talking back...

"He promised you? What promise did you two make? What's that you're not telling me? What happened between the two of you that you're not telling me?"

"N-Nothing...It doesn't matter."

"See? You built the wall between us, Xiao, from the time you left because of your ghost hunting tendencies."

Miharu stopped when she saw Xiaoyu's sad face. Did she say a lot? But this is how she felt and how she thought of Xiaoyu's actions. Maybe from the beginning she should have been stricter with her. She said once again...

"You're right on the other hand. I can't tell you what to do or not. Live with false hopes, if you want. Continue having this ridiculous life. The choice is yours."

Xiaoyu turned her back at her and headed for the door silently with Panda following her...

"I see...You should have talked to me earlier, if you felt this way. But on the other hand you were having fun by seeing me acting "ridiculously" as you said."

Miharu stood up and ran in front of her...

"Is that what you understood from all the things I said?!"

"What was I supposed to understand then? You're angry, I got that perfectly. But I can't stay here anymore. I don't want you to say that you hate me. I wouldn't bear hearing that from you."

"I would never say that...Xiao."

No one said anything for some moments until Xiaoyu smiled and then said...

"I know...You're really kind to do that. Anyway, I wanted to protect you from them and I guess I made it somehow."

"I guess I was pretty harsh as well...Let me..."

"No, Miharu" she said interrupting her... "I would, maybe, say the same, if I were you"

Xiaoyu asked from Panda to follow her and she opened the door of Miharu's house. She tried to stop her...

"Wait...Listen..."

"You don't have to say anything else. I know how you feel and I understand. You did well by telling me your true feelings."

She then looked at her with a sad smile and said as if she was begging her...

"At least keep the good memories of our time together, ok?"

Miharu didn't say anything else and watched as her best friend was disappearing from her sight and life...

Xiaoyu and Panda were walking away and a minute later they heard Miharu closing the door of her house. She looked back and then lowered her head on the ground. Panda raised her head to look at her mistress' crying face. The tears were falling on her furry head but she couldn't do anything to comfort her. Suddenly, Xiaoyu's eyes widened and she fell on the ground. She tried to find her composure by leaning on Panda's body and the animal tried its best to help her. She touched her chest tightly and tried to make the pain go away but she couldn't. Minutes later the pain disappeared and Xiaoyu opened her eyes. She turned to look at Panda and noticed her worried expression. She stood up and they started walking again...

"I'm ok now, Panda. This pain I felt it back then with Kazuya. I can sense that it isn't anything physical. At first I thought that he was doing something to me with his devil gene but when we were fighting I saw him being completely shocked when something controlled my body. What's all this about anyway?"

Panda turned her face to her and "asked" her to hop on her back. She knew that Xiaoyu was really tired...

She did as she asked her and said once again...

"About Miharu...I understand her, I guess. She went through a lot because of me. I did save her but still...Whatever, let's head back, ok?"

Panda nodded and rushed her way to the Mishima Estate as Xiaoyu asked her...

 **Mishima Estate, Indoors...**

Hwoarang and Alisa had already finished a lot of Heihachi's men inside the estate. They knew that there were others outside but Lars' soldiers could take care of them. They decided to stay together and not split up since it was the two of them and they started searching. They entered something which looked like an office. Files, computes, books, in other words, Hwoarang's worst nightmare. Alisa, on the other hand, started scanning everything she could. She hacked the computers, scanned the books and the files but there wasn't anything that would give them a clue about Jin's or Xiaoyu's whereabouts. It wasn't like they believed Heihachi knew anything but you can never be sure. Hwoarang sighed desperately...

"There's nothing mysterious or anything that would lead us to Jin or Xiaoyu in this house. Probably, the old man used Xiaoyu as his last chance to lure Lars...and, of course, Jin remains dead."

He didn't hear Alisa and turned around him...

"Am I talking to myself all this time?"

He walked outside the office and heard some noises coming from the room in front of him. He walked there and looked inside...

"Oh here you are, Alisa. I was looking for you."

"I'm sorry for getting you worried." She said and bowed...

"It's fine. Did you find anything here?"

"This is Xiao-onesan's room."

Hwoarang took a better look of the room. Posters of a popular Japanese idol, seriously Xiaoyu's taste in men sucks, he thought for a moment. A pink wardrobe on his left and a large painting of an amusement park on the wall next to her bed with the word "Xiaoyuland" on it...

"Pretty obvious, if you ask me. But from the decoration and how the room is a lot like her, you could say that she, indeed, came and found him. Anyway, did you find something?"

"I'm so sorry, I forgot all about our mission."

"Relax...Our mission was to take out his troops, something we did, right?"

Alisa nodded and walked to the bed when she noticed something, which took her attention...

"What are you looking there?" he said and walked there when he saw Alisa opening the drawer next to Xiaoyu's bed...

Alisa was having some photos in her hands and said showing them to him...

"These"

"Photos, eh?"

Alisa nodded...

"Yes, here's one of you and Xiao-onesan."

He took it in his hand and looked at it. He smiled slightly. He remembered when they took this photo. It was in the fifth tournament and after his fight with Asuka Kazama. It wasn't a big win for him since even though the girl was good enough, she wasn't anything like him. But still this girl's fighting style was kind of familiar to him. He thought that perhaps it was his idea and he let it pass...

"Sure, I remember when this is. That bitch! From all the photos we took together back then, she kept this one. I was so ugly"

Alisa smiled...

"I think you're funny not ugly."

"Be honest...At least, you're gentle...unlike her."

Alisa giggled slightly at his comment and then said…

"But you lied, senpai…"

Hwoarang turned to look at her as she was staring at his face with a saddened face expression…

"You mean about me saying that I don't know about Xiaoyu, right?"

Alisa nodded…

"Honestly, now that I'm thinking about it, I can't understand why I lied in the first place…Weird."

"So? You're friends?"

Hwoarang smiled and said… "How do we look like in the photo?"

Alisa smiled at him and stayed silent…

Suddenly, he noticed a strange notebook inside the drawer and said...

"Hey, what's that?"

Alisa looked inside as well and proceeded to take it in her hands...

"A notebook"

He placed his fist under his chin and said...

"It doesn't look like a common notebook. More like a diary. Open it."

Alisa had her doubts and looked at him...

"But it's personal"

Hwoarang rolled his eyes. This girl at times like these was thinking of privacy and whatever. He finally said...

"Don't you want to know if Xiaoyu is safe or where she is right now?"

She nodded...

"See? Read some, maybe she says something in there about Heihachi and all. I guess she's an idiot but not that much as to not understand his true intentions after all these. So, if we want to leave having learned something you must read and better start from the most recent entries."

"I see...I'll do that."

"Good for you" said Hwoarang sitting beside her but before that he placed the photo inside his pocket...

Lars and Heihachi were fighting each other for some time. Lars was thinking that "his" old man was in his best shape, at least from the last time they fought each other. He, also, noticed that he, himself, wasn't good enough. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard and that took Lars' attention, who feared that one of his men might be injured. Because of that, Heihachi found the chance and with his strongest punch sent Lars away with him falling on the ground...

He started standing up little by little holding his stomach. He was trying to catch his breath and Heihachi was looking at him in amusement but in the same time disappointed...

"Getting tired, son?"

"Not really...but I wouldn't like the idea of your blood dirtying my hands after your death." He said and Heihachi crossed his arms while smiling at him... "So, I believe that I must finish you off as I originally had planned."

He took out the gun he was having wrapped around his belt and pointed it to him. Heihachi laughed mockingly at him but Lars stayed as he was...

"You think a gun can kill me? I thought I taught you a lesson last time we met."

Lars lowered a little his gun, although he was ready to shoot if Heihachi was about to do something...

"Sure, I remember. You were quite entertaining back then. Exactly what a circus would need to succeed." He stopped for a while when he saw a familiar figure standing behind Heihachi. He smiled and put his gun back where it was placed...

"I know a bullet can't do me the favor but what about lots of them? What would you say then?"

"You can try me if you want."

" _This old man is just like provoking a child with reversed psychology...Whatever"_

"I'm glad you're saying that since...Oh Nina, right on time!" he said looking at the blonde woman, who took out her knife and threw it at Heihachi...

He turned to face her when he heard the assassin's name and just on time he noticed the knife and avoided it...

Nina watched as her knife stabbed the ground and smiled. She then turned to face the old man...

"You again?"

Nina waved her hand at him...

"Hello, gramps" she said and as soon as she took out her twin guns, she pointed them in front of his face...

Heihachi tightened his fists and turned to face his son not paying attention to the assassin's position...

"Impressive, I have to give you that." Said Lars...

"You dared take me out using guns and now with this assassin. Have you no pride as a Mishima?!"

The blond man sighed...

"A "Mishima pride", you say? I can do without. This thing you dare call pride disappeared when you imprisoned your own father and let him die."

"You're informed, I see"

"Master Wang gave me some of his time and explained everything to me and on the other hand, don't you think I have to know what I disown?"

"I should have guessed that Wang was the one, who would talk to you."

Lars didn't say anything else to him and turned a little his head to see Nina. She made eye contact with him and he said...

"Nina, I'll let you do your thing now. Excuse me." he said and turned to leave...

"Sure thing"

He started walking to find Alisa and Hwoarang until he heard a gunshot and turned to see where it came from. He saw Nina lying on the ground holding her right leg. Lars thought about who was the one who shot her and his eyes took one of Heihachi's men standing on a tree having his gun in his hand. Immediately, he took out his gun and before he was ready to shoot him, Nina had already finished the job for him. She managed to get a hold of her gun and shot him. He looked at the woman on the ground, who was holding her leg once again and rushed to her side, however, Heihachi lifted her with his arm and grabbed her neck. She was trying to release herself from his grip and in the same time thinking the pain her leg was causing her. Heihachi smiled at his son, who seemed clueless as to what his next move should be...

"Tell me now, if you don't want her to get hurt..."

In the same time Hwoarang and Alisa walked out of the mansion and found themselves to the other side of the backyard's entrance but there was still no sign of Lars...

"Why is he taking him so long? We have finished them already."

"Could it be possible he has a problem?" said Alisa as she watched Hwoarang walking further...

He didn't bother answering her but stopped when he saw Heihachi holding Nina by her neck and Lars just standing in front of them...

"There they are" he said and looked to Alisa's place...

She nodded and after some time Heihachi dropped Nina on the ground and continued talking with him...

"What are they doing now?" he sighed... "What a bore? But I should have guessed. These Mishima guys are quite the blabbers."

"Huh?"

He looked at her once again...

"Before Jin turned into that boring thing, he was like that, as well." he said and gave a weak smile...

"There was a time Master was like that?"

He nodded...

"Even if it seems unbelievable...there was. Didn't Xiaoyu tell you?"

"Umm...no...Xiao-onesan wasn't speaking about her relationship with Master and Miharu-san asked me to be discreet with my words concerning him in front of her."

"Is this Miharu-san, the girl Xiaoyu was supposed to go and see today?" he asked...

"Yes" she answered...

Hwoarang nodded after thinking of something. He noticed how Alisa's mood changed when they read that Xiaoyu was supposed to go and see her friend in Tokyo. Well, he was relieved, too but even so they had to make sure it was that way. He made an agreement with Alisa. They weren't supposed to tell Lars because none of them wanted Xiaoyu involved any longer...

"Ok...I see that you have cheered up a little, right?"

"In a part...yes!"

Hwoarang looked at Lars and Heihachi again. He took the gun a fallen soldier of Heihachi's was having and pointed it to the old man but before that he said to Alisa...

"Tomorrow we're going to go and visit this Miharu girl. I suppose you know where her house is."

She noticed Hwoarang looking at her with the corner of his eye and said...

"Of course!"

He turned back to aim Heihachi with the gun...

"Good but for now, let's finish this piece of trash off. Maybe Alexandersson will get mad at us but the hell with him...Screw him!" he said jokingly...

Alisa smiled and said mimicking him...

"Screw him! Hehe..."

He chuckled...

"You're learning"

With that Hwoarang looked once again carefully to his target and pulled the trigger...

Lars was looking on the ground, he agreed to join forces with his father. Nina was a human being and a friendly figure to him. He couldn't just leave Heihachi strangle her...

"Good...Now, follow me." said Heihachi and Lars nodded to himself...

Before he was ready to start walking he heard a gunshot and looked around him. Even Nina was surprised since she was barely having her senses. His eyes never looked at Heihachi's body. He never thought that he might be the one injured. He was thinking of Alisa, Hwoarang and his men until Nina said when Heihachi body fell beside her...

"L-Lars...here..."

He looked at her and his eyes widened. His father was unconscious on the ground. You can never say "yes" with this kind of family concerning things as death. He walked there and checked his pulse. Lars moved his hand away from his neck and breathed out in relief. The man was dead at last. He didn't say anything, yet and turned to check on Nina...

"Is...he...dead?" she said...

He moved her hand away from her cat suit and tore the cloth apart. She winched in pain when he touched her wound...

"Don't worry about that. Now we have to take care of you. Oh...and sorry for that." He said and removed his hand from her leg in fear not to hurt her any further...

Hwoarang and Alisa joined them. He walked at Nina's place and stood above her...

"Where is she wounded?"

"Don't you see?" said Lars... "But I don't know what to do?"

He walked to the unconscious Heihachi and unwrapped the cloth belt, which was holding his pants and walked again to Nina kneeling beside her. He asked from Lars to move away and he did it confused...

"Alisa, can you come here for a minute?"

She nodded and walked next to him...

"Hold gently her leg in that position and don't let go until I tell you" said Hwoarang and carefully placed Nina's leg in Alisa's hands...

He looked at Lars once again and said...

"Could it be possible that we have something for me to clean the wound? Like liquor or something? Or is it out of the question?"

No one said anything and he nodded to himself...

"I see...Well, I guess this will do until you get to the hospital" he said and started wrapping the fabric around her leg...

Lars crossed his arms...

"Were you the one, who shot him?"

He smiled cockily...

"Did you see where the bullet is on his body?"

Lars nodded...

"There's your answer."

"I knew I wasn't wrong in wanting you to join me."

"No one said you were wrong. Well, who of us is going to get her to the hospital? I don't think she can handle any longer, even though the bullet is not deep inside."

He walked next to Nina as well and looked at her face, which was pale. While he was ready to lift her up, he heard his soldiers gathering in front of him...

"Sir, we have finished."

Lars looked at them and noticed that three of them were missing. He knew, of course, and who were those three...

"Where are the others?" he asked, and named the soldiers, fearing the answer...

One of the soldiers stepped closer to him. He bowed respectfully and said...

"I'm sorry, sir. We tried to communicate with them but they didn't answer. We looked all over the place and found them dead. Our apologies." The other soldiers behind him bowed as well...

Lars sighed and Hwoarang looked at him. He knew the feeling. On the same time he was impressed by Lars and how he knew every single first name of his soldiers. He looked back at the soldier in front of him...

"Please...You three gather their bodies and take them back to the base. When you do that, inform Tougou of the situation and their names and ask him to contact their families." He said pointing to the soldier in front of him and then at the two on his left...

They nodded and walked to gather the bodies...

"Are you ok?" said Hwoarang...

"I've been better...Anyway...I'll take Nina to the hospital."

"What should we do?"

He sighed once again and looked at his father's body...

"Make sure to not leave even a free trace of bare skin on him. Spend your bullets on his body."

"What?!"

Lars took Nina in his arms and started walking away...

"You heard me. After that take him to the Research Facility and Julia will take the lead then. I'll talk with her."

" _Who is Julia?_ F-Fine"

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Hospital...**

Lars arrived with Nina at the Mishima Zaibatsu's hospital as fast as he could. He entered like crazy the hospital with Nina in his embrace, who had passed out eventually. The doctors in there saw the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu and immediately rushed there to help him. While in the surgery room, they anaesthetized her and sterilized the wound. Then, the surgeon proceeded to remove the bullet. Thankfully, it wasn't placed too deep inside her body. As it seemed the one, who shot her wasn't from the best men Heihachi was having. When they finished, they closed the wound by stitching it and sterilized it once again. They wrapped the wound with some cotton gauze and the surgery was over...

He was waiting impatiently outside the surgery room until the surgeon stepped out and walked to his place. He bowed and said...

"Sir, we finished with the surgery."

Lars sighed in relief...

"That's nice! Will she be ok?"

"Sure, the bullet wasn't so deep inside and we managed to remove it rather quickly. Of course, she will have to stay here for the day for a last examination of her condition in the morning and then she will be free to go after that."

He smiled...

"I'm really thankful...I mean, for everything."

"That's our duty, sir. Well, excuse me."

He nodded but before that he said...

"I'm sorry, doctor...When will I be able to see her?"

The doctor stopped his pace and said with a smile...

"I have already informed a nurse to let you know when Mrs. Williams wakes up."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Nina opened her eyes and saw a white wall above her. Did he really take her to the hospital? Yes, he did and she nodded in the inside. She touched her leg, which was still hurting but of course less than it did before. She tried to stand up but an arm stopped her...

"Where do you think you're going?" said Lars...

Nina snapped his hand away...

"Dress up, of course. What's your problem?"

He relaxed himself on the chair's back and said after crossing his arms...

"My problem? Oh, nothing..."

"What's with this annoying smile on your face?"

"What smile?" said Lars trying to hold his laugh...

What made Lars wanted to laugh wasn't only Nina's clueless behavior but how she was dressed right now. It was his first time seeing her in a thing between a granny's pajama and an overweight's man's shirt. She sighed and stood up until she felt once again the pain in her leg and gritted her teeth. Lars carefully placed her on the bed and she obeyed this time. It was seriously painful...

"Thank you...Not for now but for what you did back then. You would join forces with Heihachi just for him to not kill me. That's new for me...Honestly"

"It's nothing. I don't think of you just as an assassin or a person, who would do anything I tell her. I consider you my friend." He said and smiled to her...

"Whatever your case, I thanked you. Can we go now?"

He stood up and walked to the door...

"I can go unlike you, who will have to stay here for the night."

Her eyes widened...

"Come again?'

"I'm sorry but you'll have to stay here for the night. I'll send someone in the morning to take you, ok? Or maybe I'll come. Yeah, I'll do that!"

"You're not serious. I can't stay here. I have a lot of things to do, you know."

He nodded...

"Sure and because you'll have a lot more in the future, I prefer to let you relax for some time...And I'm not taking no as an answer."

"Uhh..." she sighed...

"Are we clear?"

"Yes...I want you to leave now."

He laughed at her and then opened the door to walk away leaving her inside her room...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu...**

In Lars' office, Tougou just finished informing the families of their children's fate. He knew that Lars couldn't do it because he was getting pretty emotional in situations like these. It was already enough that he was so close with the soldiers. They had to follow his orders and even die for him. At least his friend was safe, even though he was quite worried about Nina but he knew that she would be ok eventually. She was a strong person and he admired her for that...

He closed the file with the soldiers' portfolio and when he was ready to stand up he heard the door opening...

"Ah, Tougou...Good to see you again."

Julia Chang walked inside the office and her kind smile made his face shine as well. He dropped the files on the office and walked to her...

"Same here, Miss Chang."

She pouted mockingly at him...

"Didn't I tell you to call me Julia?"

"It's the first time a person so young as you is working here, so is a little difficult for me. While in this building I'm always on working mode. But I'll try to do as you wish"

She nodded...

"You're making me curious there."

"You mean?"

She crossed her arms and said...

"I mean, how you're acting out of this building? When you're wearing casual clothes, when you're going out...You know, that kind of stuff."

He nodded...

"Lars says I'm not different."

Julia walked and sat on a chair with Tougou watching her...

"Maybe, he thinks that way."

"As you said...Maybe."

Tougou walked to the window behind Lars' office and opened the curtain slightly to see outside. The sun was setting and Lars was still not here. He then heard as Julia spoke...

"Do you think they'll be fine?"

He nodded...

"Yes, actually I was supposed to tell you but I forgot. They are ok and they'll be here as soon as possible."

"That's a relief."

"Indeed..." he said in a sad tone, which Julia noticed...

He closed the certain and heard her saying...

"Is something wrong? Did anything happen to you?"

He shook his head and smiled to her...

"No...Nothing just that I got somehow emotional."

"About what?"

"Three of the men I sent with him died...Lars asked me to inform their families and you can guess further."

Julia nodded. Tougou did the worst thing ever in these circumstances. She felt a little sad for him. Will he be fine? He seemed strong but was it the truth? For a moment it made her curious what kind of life Tougou was having when he wasn't a soldier. She felt awkward when she noticed that no one was talking and decided to say...

"I'm a little worried right now. Aren't they late?"

"Stop thinking about it. I'm sure that this door will open soon and he'll walk inside with this stupid smile of his."

She relaxed on the chair's back and said...

"I hope so."

That time Lars Alexandersson opened the door of his office and walked inside with "this stupid smile of his" as Tougou described it. Julia stood up happily and rushed to his side, checking for any possible bruises or scratches. Tougou on the other hand stayed where he was and didn't say anything. He knew that his friend was smiling because he didn't want to make them worried since they succeeded as well in getting rid of Heihachi but he was really sad in the inside. He was always like that when he was losing his soldiers but he needed to get over it...

"Lars!" said Julia relieved for seeing him safe...

He held her hands gently and when he released her he walked to his office and sat on his seat...

"Well, what happened?" she said once again...

He smirked imagining how his father's body turned after the order he gave to Hwoarang...

"In a little while, Julia, your work will start when Heihachi Mishima's body arrives at the Research Facility."

Both Julia and Tougou looked surprised at him. The soldier only called to inform Tougou of their fallen comrades and he didn't ask anything else since he was shocked about what he heard...

"You managed to kill him?" he asked...

"Well, I just got him tired. Hwoarang did the job for me and I didn't even order him to do that."

"So...He's dead at last." She said relieved...

"I wouldn't be as relieved as you're Julia. I don't trust this man, so I must leave it all upon science and by that I mean you."

"Me?!" she said pointing at herself...

He nodded at her...

"Yes. I need you to get rid of every single cell inside that body of his. I know that this doesn't belong to your sector but you are the only person I trust inside there. And of course, there are people there, who can help you. Alisa can assist you as well. "

Julia smiled when she heard Alisa's name...

"Well, I guess I'll take Alisa's assistance."

"I'll let her know."

It was silent for a moment until three knocks were heard on the door. At first they thought that it would be one of the crew members but when Lars asked for the person to walk inside Hwoarang and Alisa revealed themselves. He walked inside first and Alisa followed behind him. Lars smiled when he saw them and Julia raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar man's figure until she heard his name from Lars and she remembered him...

"Hwoarang, good you're here. Is everything as I ordered?"

He nodded not saying anything else. Even he was terrified when he realized what was left of the man. Well, on the other hand they did an excellent job. He was proud at this part. While Hwoarang was still lost in his thoughts, Lars interrupted him when he touched his shoulder...

"Hey?!"

Lars' touch startled him and made him make a step back. Finally, he looked at him and said...

"What is it?"

"I want to introduce you to Julia Chang. Julia, will you come?"

Julia nodded and stood up. She walked there and Lars said once again...

"Julia, this is Hwoarang and you, Hwoarang, this is Julia Chang. Well, on the other hand, you may know each other."

She looked at him and said...

"Sure, you're that Taekwondo martial artist, right?"

Hwoarang nodded looking uninterested at her...

"Yeah...I have mastered this fighting style."

" _M-Mastered?"_ thought both Lars and Julia. This man in front of them was the definition of the word "showoff"...

"And I believe you know Julia, right?" said Lars with a smile...

Hwoarang looked at her carefully in a way that made her feel awkward and he said...

"Umm...No!"

Their eyes widened and he said surprised...

"How can you say that?"

Hwoarang looked pissed off at him...

"Tch...Why do you think I should know every person in the tournament?"

Lars scratched the back of his head and muttered...

"Well...You have a point."

Julia managed to smile after all she heard...

"Actually, we had a fight together in the third tournament."

Hwoarang nodded and asked her...

"You won?"

She shook her head and looked at the floor...

"Umm...no...I lost...to be honest."

He smiled cockily...

"See? That's why I don't remember you."

Julia wanted to hide from the embarrassment. Why was this man in front of her so rude? What was she supposed to do now? Suddenly, she felt someone behind her and before she turned to see who it was, she heard him...

"Can't you just be kind to a person, who according to you, you just met?" said Tougou angrily...

Hwoarang glared annoyingly at him and then extended his hand for a handshake in front of Julia...

"Whatever...Nice to meet you, Julia Chang."

She felt the tensed atmosphere and anyway said taking his hand with hers...

"Uh...same here."

After that Lars explained to all of them about what their next action would be. He said that with Nina's situation, they'll have a lot more to do, since he wanted her to take a break. He discussed with Julia about what for her to do with Heihachi's body and even though she found the idea disgusting she had to do it. It was Lars' orders. She had to obey. While still on Julia's issue, Lars looked for Alisa to tell her about how she could assist Julia. He saw her searching for something on the floor and she looked pretty worried...

When they came inside Alisa was watching Lars' conversation with Hwoarang and Julia. Suddenly, she felt that something was missing from her body. It was neither her head nor her arms. She touched her hair and noticed that her three daisies were missing. She panicked but still it wasn't just that. It wasn't like this was the only flower hairpin she was having. Slowly she moved her hands to her neck's place and noticed that something was missing from there as well. This was something terrible because it was an irreplaceable item and with a really emotional importance...

" _I can't believe I lost it! What will I do now? It was the only thing I had left from him. What a horrible person I am?"_

She fell on her knees and started looking for it. It was nowhere to be found. She touched her head with both of her hands restlessly but when she felt a touch on her shoulder she turned to face the person. It was Lars...

"Alisa, what's wrong?"

She waved her hands wanting to reassure him and stood up...

"It's n-nothing...I may have lost something that's all."

"Could it be that this item is your flower hairpin?"

She touched her head and smiled...

"Umm...yes, that's it"

Alisa bowed to him and said...

"I'm sorry for worrying you about such trivial things"

He smiled...

"Don't mention it."

"Did you want to tell me anything?"

"Well, yes but I see you're upset. Why don't you go and have some rest? I'll explain everything tomorrow, ok?"

Alisa nodded and smiled. She excused herself and made her way to the room Lars had especially prepared for her from the time they were staying there...

He walked back to his office and said touching Julia's shoulder...

"Julia, can I guess you brought your stuff?"

"Yes, I did when you left."

"Good, Tougou, could you please take Julia to one of the bedrooms? The good ones."

Tougou pointed to himself and said...

"Me?"

Lars raised an eyebrow...

"I don't understand...Why not you? Do you want to talk to me about something?"

He shook his head negatively...

"N-No, I'll take you there, Julia." He said and looked nervously at her...

"Thank you"

After that the two of them left Lars' office and left him alone with Hwoarang, who was having a small smirk on his lips. Lars looked at him and before he asked him to sit down he said...

"Tougou's been acting weird since we came back. He's strange..."

"Strange or..."

"Or what?" asked Lars...

"Never mind"

Lars nodded and said again...

"Anyway, why don't you have a seat?"

Hwoarang didn't answer and just sat on the chair opposite Lars' desk. He crossed his arms and waited for the blond man to speak first...

"Well, shall we have our talk now?"

Hwoarang sighed...

"I need to ask you something important before that."

"May I hear it?"

He nodded...

"What are you having in mind to do with the Zaibatsu after and if you get rid of Kazuya?"

Lars stayed quiet for a bit. Why this question all of a sudden? It was true that he hadn't thought specifically about that but he was leaning towards the most correct choice for everyone's well being...

"Since you asked...well...I'm planning to destroy it."

"Can I trust you in that?"

Lars smiled to him...

"You can...I want to ask you something as well."

"Say it!" said Hwoarang looking at the floor...

"Why did you ask something like this?"

He looked at him bluntly and said...

"You should have known. Everything began since that Zaibatsu was created. I want it destroyed along with G-Corp and of course Kazuya."

"It will be done...I assure you. Since we agree, can we now discuss what we were supposed to?"

Hwoarang stood up and placed his hands on Lars' desk. He frowned for a second and said looking at him fiercely...

"Drop it! I'll join but under one condition."

"What is it?" asked Lars confused...

Hwoarang brought his left hand to his head and touched his hair...

"I'm not cutting my hair."

The blond man laughed at him, who on the other hand was completely serious and now angry, and said...

"Agreed!"

 **Mishima Estate...**

Ling Xiaoyu and Panda walked inside the mansion. They were shocked at the scenery. Xiaoyu saw Heihachi's men being on the ground with each one of them sinking in his own pool of blood. She swallowed hard and tried to walk further inside with Panda supporting her. She didn't enter the estate first but decided to go to the back yard, where Heihachi was spending most of his time. Again she saw fallen soldiers with their guns next to them and finally, she noticed a big amount of spilled blood on the garden's center, where Heihachi was usually meditating. She rushed there and Panda followed her. She looked around her once more and when she noticed that no one was around she kneeled down. So much blood...Could it be that Kazuya come? She doubted it. She didn't notice them being ready for an ambush. Suddenly, her gaze fell on a purple piece of fabric next to her. She took it in her hands and then noticed the blood in the middle of it. She gripped it with her hand but the end of her eye took notice of a small grey notebook or diary...Whatever it was. Xiaoyu opened it for some time but she understood nothing and she wasn't in the mental condition to start thinking seriously. Suddenly, she heard Panda motioning for her to look at her place. Xiaoyu stood up and walked there, still holding the piece of fabric and the diary in her hands. Panda showed her a knife stabbed on the ground. Xiaoyu dropped the two items and pulled out the knife. She took a better look at it and noticed how sharp it was. It was created for only a professional to handle it because with only one successful throw it could kill in an instant. That time she thought of something...

"Could it be Nina Williams? But why would she come here by herself? Or is it that she still works for the Zaibatsu? What am I saying? Maybe it's not hers in the first place." She said and looked at her pet...

Panda couldn't help and just watched as her mistress stood up and put the knife in her bag along with the diary. Why did she take them?

"Anyway, I think we need to leave, Panda. Let's go and take our things."

Panda nodded and followed the girl inside the estate...

They entered the place and saw everything messed up and destroyed. It was impossible for Heihachi to be there and Xiaoyu didn't have time to look for him. She was scared with her surroundings. They ran to her room, which wasn't completely destroyed. She stepped inside slowly fearing that someone might be there and in the same time ready to attack. When the girl made sure there was no one, she grabbed the sack she was having under her bed and started putting some of her clothes inside. When she finished she walked to her drawer and looked for her passport. She found both the passport and some photos. She took them all but didn't notice that her diary was missing. She didn't have time to think clearly. In the end, she closed the sack and placed it on her shoulders. After that, Xiaoyu looked at Panda and motioned for her to walk outside. Both of them stepped out of the estate some minutes later but Panda stopped her pace when she noticed something on the ground. She looked at Xiaoyu and the latter said...

"What is it, Panda? We don't have a lot of time."

Her pet motioned for her mistress to look where she was showing her. Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow when she noticed the two items. She kneeled down and took each one of them in her hands. She looked at Panda and then back to the items...

"T-This hairpin...is Alisa's...I'm sure of it...and this pendant here, it's Shin's. I remember Alisa was having it with her the whole time. She must have dropped these here."

She stood up and placed the items in her handbag...

"I don't know if I'll see Alisa again but I can't just leave them here, right? They are important to her."

Panda looked at Xiaoyu and nodded, she then heard her saying again...

"But now I get it...I mean, I'm sure...Since Alisa was here, Lars Alexandersson might have been, as well."

Xiaoyu shook her head and started walking again, until she felt the intense pain in her chest again...

"Ugh...This pain...a-again"

She fell on her knees and tried to endure it by taking breaths but she couldn't. Panda was trying to help her by going next to her but it was futile. Suddenly, a white light appeared which blinded Xiaoyu and made her pass out. Panda watched the white light still being there and thought that by following it, they would find the answer to why Xiaoyu felt theses pains. She managed little by little to place Xiaoyu on her back and finally, started to follow the light, which was leading them away from the Mishima Estate...

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything.

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters...**

As they planned, the day before, Hwoarang and Alisa were going to go and pay a visit to Xiaoyu's friend. They were hoping that Xiaoyu would be there as well, since she was supposed to go and see her. When Hwoarang asked Lars, if he could take Alisa and go out, he found it weird. He asked for the reason but Hwoarang refused to answer specifically only giving him the uncertain answer like "I wanted to look around and she said that she could show me around". Of course, he wasn't convinced but he didn't find it a bad idea or something to worry about. He, also, had to do something so he found no reason to not let them. He even was surprised that Hwoarang, indeed, asked for his permission...

"Fine...Do as you like. I, myself, have something to do, anyway."

"What thing?" asked Hwoarang...

Lars relaxed his back on the seat's back and said...

"Since you're not telling me, why should I?"

Hwoarang sighed and Lars smiled...

"Whatever...I must go and take Nina from the hospital. I don't trust her so I have to go there before she wakes up. And I have to discuss something with her."

He nodded and made his way out of the office. Alisa was waiting outside for him as Hwoarang asked her. He was sure that if Lars was about to ask the reason, something he did, Alisa was going to blurt it out, thinking that she must tell him everything, and he didn't want something like that. She looked at him and he told her that they got his permission. Alisa smiled at him and they made their way outside the building. Alisa guided Hwoarang to where the garage was and when she did, he walked inside first. His eyes widened. Alisa believed that it was because of the big amount of luxurious cars, which of course were of a high technology. She smiled at his sparkling eyes and saw him as he ran further inside. Alisa followed him walking to his side until she stopped when she saw something. As it seemed, Hwoarang didn't even pay attention to the cars around him but to the only item, which wasn't multiplied inside there...

"Cool! So fucking awesome!" he shouted and hopped on the item...

For Alisa it was a first seeing a man of his age acting like a child, whose parents' bought him a new toy. For an unknown reason, she found it cute...

He climbed off the item and started caressing it. Well, any outsider would find his reaction abnormal but people, who were close to him or familiar with his daily routine, knew of his obsession with the motorcycles. However, this bike wasn't from the ones, which would show his personality. It was something only a boring guy like Jin Kazama would ride, he thought. But still, the way it was designed, how of a good quality and detailed the work on the colors was and the kind of unique technology it was having, made it an item worthy of his admiration. Hwoarang knew everything about the things he was interested in and as it seemed telling apart a good motorcycle was one of them...

After a while, he noticed how Alisa was looking at him. At first he thought that she was thinking of him as an idiot but when he saw her smile, these thoughts of his disappeared. She even asked him how it works. That made him confused. As the robot that she was it was obvious that she would know even better how to handle this difficult thing. The only thing Hwoarang knew better than her was how to make it "fly"...

In the end, he took the keys from the soldiers, who were guarding the building after letting them know who he was and with Alisa on his back he turned on the engine...

"Alisa? Grab my waist."

Even though Hwoarang said it for her to be safe, while he was driving, it was known how dangerously he was doing it, she found it embarrassing...

"Come on! There's no reason to be shy. I'm just saying this for you to be safe. I'm quite popular between the traffic policemen."

However, she was still feeling embarrassed until Hwoarang, who knew that if they won't leave now they would be late and make Lars asking questions again later, started driving suddenly with a really high speed, something which made Alisa place her arms around his waist...

Lars Alexandersson from the view his office was providing for him, witnessed Alisa leaving with Hwoarang. Actually, where were they going? He was curious but, on the other hand, he was sure that, if he was to ask, Alisa was going to tell him. Maybe, that was the reason why Hwoarang came to ask him for permission by himself. He nodded to himself and then checked his wrist watch. It was time for him to go and take Nina from the hospital. Later, when he came yesterday he called the staff of the hospital and ordered them to lock the doors of her room. Well, he knew that if she was in a good physical condition she would be already out. Thankfully, she wasn't. He grabbed his cellphone and walked out of the office...

 **Tokyo, downtown...**

After around twenty minutes, they arrived at their destination. It wasn't too difficult to find it since Alisa was sending the directions via her data to the bike's GPS. He turned off the engine and they hopped off the bike. Before they started to walk to the door of Miharu's house, Hwoarang smiled to Alisa, whose hair was a complete mess and after helping her fix them a little, he said jokingly...

"So, how was it to feel the intense heartbeat of a gorgeous guy like me?"

Alisa didn't know what to say. His eyes were full of expectation but she was feeling still embarrassed...

"Ehh...Umm...I could say that it was quite soothing."

"S-Soothing?" said Hwoarang confused...

Alisa started panicking after she noticed his confused expression. She said something wrong, didn't she? But what was that she was supposed to feel? Hwoarang smiled at her once again and ruffled her hair, even after he was the one, who helped her fix them. Alisa didn't mind that. She saw his smile and that made her think of what was that he wanted to hear?

"Hahahaha!" he started laughing and Alisa's eyes widened...

"Why are you laughing?" she said to him...

Hwoarang managed to calm himself down and said...

"No...Nothing Alisa and don't worry about what I said before. I said it to make you give me this cute expression. Really, there's nothing to feel anxious for."

Alisa smiled and nodded...

"I see."

He turned his back to her and said...

"Shall we get moving, Pinky?"

Alisa was taken aback by that. Pinky? To whom was he talking to? Herself?!

" _Pinky? What was that for? Whatever...It fits her!"_ he thought...

He turned his head to face her and said...

"And yes, I'm talking to you, Pinky! That's what I'm gonna call you from now on."

She just looked at him as he turned his head back and started walking further in front of him. She remembered that she had to follow him and started making steps to his direction...In the same time, Alisa realized that she just got her first nickname and it was quite cute...An ideal one for a person as herself...

The two of them were now in front of the house's door. They looked at each other and after a while Hwoarang knocked at the door. A couple of seconds later, a young girl answered the door and Alisa smiled at her familiar to her existence...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Hospital...**

At the hospital, Nina Williams found herself being "trapped" inside a white room and she couldn't do anything to get out of there. Her leg was in a really painful condition. She had to be careful but she failed. At least she somehow gathered information about what Lars asked from her. She touched her leg to feel her wound. It was feeling a lot better than it did yesterday. Thankfully as she heard it was just a deep scratch and in about some weeks she would be feeling like before...

The leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu arrived at the hospital. He walked inside and people were looking at him. Of course, he was feeling awkward at first but this one last year he managed to handle these stares. He was the most powerful CEO of a company all over the world. It was natural for people to act like that around him. However, their gazes weren't showing fear. They had more of a surprised feeling in them because the aura Lars was emitting was really friendly and peaceful. That was making him liked between people along with what he promised them...

Lars walked at the reception and a woman welcomed him. She bowed respectfully at him and asked him what he wanted...

"How can I help you, sir?"

Lars smiled at her as well...

"I'm here to take Miss Williams. Is her discharge note ready?"

The woman looked over Nina's file. She nodded to herself and turned to face Lars...

"Yes, it's ready. I only need for the doctor, who was in charge of the patient to sign it and then you can go."

"Thank you, Miss...Until that can I visit her room?"

"Of course you can, Mr. Alexandersson. Just give me a moment."

"Sure" said Lars...

The woman pressed a button and a minute later a woman in a green robe appeared next to Lars. When she noticed him, she bowed in respect and greeted him. Finally, she turned to the receptionist and asked her...

"How can I help you?"

"Mr. Alexandersson wants to visit Mrs. Nina Williams' room. Can you guide him there?"

The woman in the green robe turned to Lars and smiled at him. He smiled back at her and he heard her saying to him...

"Of course! Please follow me, sir."

Soon the woman walked Lars outside Nina's room. She looked at him and told him that he was free to enter. Lars nodded and thanked her. After that she left and Lars knocked on the door. He didn't wait for an answer since he was sure that he wasn't going to get any. He opened the door and saw Nina laying down on the bed. He noticed her irritated face and thought that she probably didn't even sleep at night. He smiled and closed the door behind him. She had her arms crossed and turned to look at him. He walked closer to her and sat on the chair next to her bed...

"How are you doing?"

"I'm not in the mood" she said sighing... "And, anyway, you came to take me back, didn't you? Well, when will we be going?"

"The doctor will have to sign your discharge note and then we can go."

"And when is that?"

Lars sighed desperately...

"Come on, Nina...You're not a baby. Bear with it for a while, ok?"

"I was bearing it since yesterday. Whatever..." she said resting her head on her pillow...

Minutes later the doctor walked inside the room with another nurse by his side and with some papers in his hands. He greeted both of them and started talking to Nina about her condition, who didn't seem interested at all...

" _Please...be a little more considerate of your health."_ thought Lars while looking at her...

She signed the discharge note as well after the doctor passed her the papers and when she was fully dressed with the nurse's help and with two crutches under her armpits for further support, they walked out of the room...

Lars helped her get into the car and then closed the door. He walked to the driver's seat and turned on the engine. Then, they left the hospital...

"You know...because of yesterday's events I didn't have the chance to ask you about if you found out anything..."

"You could have just asked me, if you wanted to know."

Lars turned the wheel of the car and took the corner on his left. When he did, he turned to look at the woman next to him and smiled...

"I wanted you to get better."

"I'm already better...and ready to tell you."

"Be my guest...Tell me." he said not taking his eyes of the road...

"Why don't we go back first?"

"I guess you have a lot to say, right? That's good I guess..."

Nina smirked...

"I don't know about that..."

Lars took a confused expression because of her last words but didn't bother asking her now. He had to wait until they arrive back to the Zaibatsu...

 **Tokyo, Downtown...**

Miharu Hirano walked out of the kitchen holding a tray. She made her way to the living room, where Hwoarang and Alisa were waiting for her. Their appearance confused her at first but then she understood. If Alisa was the only one visiting she wouldn't be surprised but now she came with that man. He didn't even introduce himself to her. Who was he but she felt that she had seen him somewhere? She placed the tray on the coffee table and served Alisa some tea. She, then, turned to face Hwoarang and said shyly...

"Umm...Since you said that you didn't want tea...umm...I"

"Call me Hwoarang" said the man with a smile...

Miharu smiled to his pretty smile, which showed his white perfectly shaped teeth. His smile was one of the things on him, which he was really proud of. Even though he was smoking a bunch of cigarettes he was taking care of his mouth hygiene and that made him have a smile "to die for"...

"S-Sure...I made you some coffee...Well, it was the only other thing I could offer you...I apologize"

"No, no...We came uninvited."

"Yes, Miharu-san. We apologize for the intrusion."

A frown appeared above Miharu's eyebrows...

"It's ok! I'm glad you visited me. It's been quite a lot of time, right?"

Alisa smiled and nodded. Even though they noticed that Xiaoyu wasn't here and that saddened her, it was good that she saw Miharu and she was safe. Miharu took a seat beside Alisa and served herself some tea as well. She sipped some and looked at Hwoarang. Suddenly, she remembered something and said out of nowhere...

"Are you Hwoarang?! The Korean guy, who was hanging out with Xiao? That really, really hot guy?"

He smiled and nodded...

"So, Xiaoyu had talked to you about me?"

Miharu nodded...

"That she even called me "hot"? That girl!"

She shook her head...

"Don't misunderstand! Xiao, indeed, talked to me about you but she never called you hot. She showed me photos of you and her and I thought you were cute."

Hwoarang took an annoyed expression. Miharu and Alisa laughed a little at his expression. Truth was that he had a little complex when even one girl, even if she wasn't interested in him or he interested in her, didn't find him attractive. He sipped some of the coffee Miharu prepared for him and then he heard her saying...

"To be honest, I always thought of Xiao's preference in guys questionable. She really has a bad taste."

"I can't do anything but agree" said Hwoarang and Miharu smiled...

"So what's her taste, Miharu-san? I thought we had the same." said Alisa to Miharu...

"Not really, Alisa...But isn't that good on the other hand? We have never fought over guys."

Alisa nodded. She then heard Hwoarang saying to Miharu...

"Well...I believe that you have already figured out why we're here."

"Based on your uniform and that kind of bike you parked outside my house, I guess I have."

Since this morning, Hwoarang by Lars' orders was wearing the Tekken Force's uniform. It was humiliating and he knew it. On the other hand, while he was checking himself on the mirror in the morning, he noticed that it suited him perfectly...

"It's about Xiao, right?" said Miharu and looked at Alisa, who nodded...

"Figures...To say the truth I believed that you would come. The Mishima Zaibatsu was next anyway."

Hwoarang raised an eyebrow...

"The Mishima Zaibatsu was next, you're saying...What does this mean?"

"I don't know why but you possibly want her for the same reason as well...Whatever...G-Corporation had some busyness with her."

"G-Corp? What could possibly Kazuya want with Xiaoyu?"

"I wish I knew. A woman came here three days ago...She was really flashy and pretty."

Hwoarang sighed irritated...

"Her name was Anna Williams, wasn't it?"

Miharu after thinking a little about it nodded...

"I see..." said Hwoarang...

"She kidnapped me and led me to their headquarters. The next day Xiao came there and I don't really know what she did with Kazuya Mishima or that woman."

Alisa touched Miharu's hands and said...

"Is that the reason why you have so many bruises?"

She looked away. It was still hurting...

"You noticed? And yeah...But thankfully we made it out of there alive."

"So...Xiaoyu left as well from there. That's a relief!" said Hwoarang...

"Indeed" said Alisa with a smile...

Hwoarang looked at Miharu again and said...

"But since you two got out of there, why didn't she tell you anything about what they wanted with her or why didn't she stay here?"

Miharu placed her hands on her face to cover her tears, which started flowing out of her eyes. Alisa placed her hand on her shoulder to console her. She understood that something happened between them. On the other hand, Hwoarang didn't do anything and was just waiting for the girl to talk...

After a while, Miharu wiped her tears and looked at Hwoarang, who was looking bluntly at her. She remembered when Xiaoyu told her something about this man in front of her... _I can't say I know Hwoarang's weaknesses but I'm sure that one thing is not...Girls' tears_...

"Are you ok now? Can you talk to us?"

She nodded...

"Xiao was really happy that we got out of there safely...I mean in a way as you can guess from my condition...Panda, her pet, brought us back here. Xiao was unconscious that time. I was so glad when she came there for me and I knew that I was on the wrong side but I couldn't help it...I was scared and for a moment I believed that I would leave my last breath inside that building. I talked really cruelly to her. I said that she's having delusions and Jin is really dead. That she had to get over this one sided love of hers."

"One sided l-love?" said a confused Alisa...

Miharu mentally slapped herself. Yes, Alisa didn't know of Xiaoyu's feelings. Xiaoyu herself denied it to everyone including herself. Miharu turned to face Alisa and said with a smile...

"I mean the love for a friend."

Hwoarang wasn't expecting this answer and he looked surprised to Miharu's side. Even himself knew about Xiaoyu's obvious romantic feelings towards that lame guy. On several occasions, he believed that Jin returned them as well but he was never sure...

Alisa nodded and said...

"That's awful...Loving someone as a friend and for him to not think of you as one. I couldn't bear something like this. Xiao-onesan is a hero in my eyes for still loving Master."

"That's not the point now, Pinky. Can you tell us what happened between the two of you finally?"

"I said that I couldn't support her any further. I was saying things without even thinking of Xiao and how she risked her life to save me. However, she didn't get mad at me, even though at first she felt a little irritated and told me that how she would deal with Jin's issue was her own busyness and I can't interfere. After that and when I realized how I was behaving to her, I tried to apologize but Xiao said that she needed to go and that she understood my feelings of wanting to be alone and away from her. As always she was overreacting but I couldn't blame her. I walked onto her landmine...After that she left...That's what happened..."

Hwoarang nodded and looked at Alisa, who was having a sorrowful expression. She was feeling really sad because Miharu and Xiaoyu fought for the first time...

"What was she supposed to do here in the first place?"

"She said that she wanted to visit me. Why are you asking?"

Hwoarang gave her the diary and told her...

"Do you know about this diary?"

"Sure I do. I gave it as a present to her for her birthday. Why? And how do you have it?"

"We found it at the Mishima Estate. She had been staying there for the last two years." said Alisa...

"What?! She went back to Heihachi Mishima? Why would she do that?" said Miharu surprised…

"Didn't she tell you anything?"

She shook her head. Maybe, if she knew she would be more understanding of her friend...

"When she left she said that she won't be answering my calls and she would be the one calling me. She was doing it from a lot of numbers. It was a different one every time. She said that I would be safer that way."

"I see..."

"But now it all makes sense..." said Miharu placing a finger under her chin...

"What do you mean?" said Alisa...

"The fact that she left from here to go and find Heihachi Mishima."

"And why are you saying that?"

"I believe it has to do something with the promise Xiao was talking about."

"What promise?" asked Hwoarang...

"I don't really know. She blurted it out while we were arguing. I asked her but she didn't answer."

Hwoarang nodded and Miharu gave him the diary back. When she did she told him...

"Why don't you check this diary? Maybe she wrote something about it. Xiao was always writing about these things because she didn't want to lose her goal and stay focused."

The man nodded and opened the diary. He started turning some pages quickly until he found some really interesting ones. He smiled a little and said gaining their attention...

"I think I found something."

Both girls looked at him and he started reading...

"Yesterday, I had the hopes that what I wanted to achieve for entering the tournament in the first place would happen. Silly me! Today on the news everyone was talking about G-Corp and the Mishima Zaibatsu setting their differences in a place God-knows-where. I'm so worried about Jin. When we met, he wasn't the man even from the last time I saw him. He's turning more and more like Kazuya. But I mustn't say this. Jin is way different. He's a good person...I'm really glad that I can still hope for the better and that he has pure reasons for doing all these horrible things. Hwoarang would have probably given me a kick right in the stomach for saying this. We had an argument in the tournament. I accused him for acting the same way Jin was. I knew I was wrong but I didn't have the courage to say what all the other people did. If I was in doing that, it would seem that I believe the same way as they do about Jin. At first I believed that I would find consolation in Hwoarang's face as always but no and I can't blame him. Jin sent him to the hospital with serious injuries. I was by his side those days and saw how weak he looked. I completely understand him...I hope that I could apologize to him and made him show me this stupid smile of his...

Enough already! That was what I wanted to shout at him yesterday. He didn't have this beautiful soft gaze he was looking me with, but a gaze full of hatred. Just like Kazuya's. Is he leaving the devil consume him? Did he choose the easy way just like his father? No, no...He would never do that! But while we were fighting I just saw a man wanting to get rid of me. Near the end I believed that I didn't have a chance to change him and that he just asked me to meet him to end ties with me. Was I that bothersome to him but what about the days we spent together? However in the end he said something that made my heart fill with hope. He said that I needed to get stronger, train hard and then we could be together. Am I still hoping or am I making mistakes again? No, I must only listen to myself and have no doubts. I'll start to make our promise reality...I've decided!"

After a moment of silence between them, Miharu was the first one to speak...

"So that was the promise Xiao was talking about."

"Did Master really send you to the hospital?" said Alisa...

"And anyway what devil is Xiao talking about?"

Hwoarang looked first at Alisa when she made her question and then at Miharu, who did her own. Why was he supposed to know everything? Not that he didn't but anyway. He looked at Miharu first and said...

"Well...She possibly means about how evil he is going to turn. You know how it goes...Ermm...Good equals God, Evil equals Devil. _What the fuck am I saying?_ "

Miharu didn't say anything and Hwoarang sighed in relief. He then turned to Alisa, who was still having a questionable look in her face...

"And yes, your "Master" really did that..."

Hwoarang didn't explain that if it wasn't for the devil gene, Jin would have never set hands on the Zaibatsu. Alisa knew about the devil gene but Miharu didn't and he couldn't explain any further for that reason...

"Alisa, I don't know if you're interested but I have some things Xiao left behind. You two are with the Mishima Zaibatsu, I guess you will find her sooner or later."

"Miharu-san, we were hoping that you knew something..."

"I'm sorry...Why don't you go back to the Mishima Estate? Maybe, she turned back there."

"You might be right" said Hwoarang...

"But we have eliminated Heihachi Mishima. Do you believe that Xiao-onesan would have stayed there?" said Alisa looking at the man...

Hwoarang started thinking. It was possible that Xiaoyu turned back there but seeing the place with dead corpses and no Heihachi around...What would she do then?

"You killed Heihachi Mishima?!"

"You mean I did." said Hwoarang with a look of pride in his face...

"I know that it's not right to be saying things like these but it was for the better..."

"This man destroyed a million people's lives. It was about time and no...I believe that we were already late."

"But if you find Xiao...You must be careful while telling her."

"Miharu-san, don't you think that she will be relieved?"

Hwoarang nodded in agreement...

"S-Sure...that guy was the one, who betrayed Jin in the first place."

"Don't tell me...I know but...well, in a part I always admired that part of hers. Being able to see clearly and still be grateful to the people, who helped her. Heihachi had been kind to Xiao and really saw her as a grandchild."

"And what are these things Xiaoyu left behind?"

Miharu stood up from her seat next to Alisa...

"I think it was just a box...Let me go and get it, ok?"

With that she left the living room. Alisa looked at Hwoarang and said...

"P-Please...Can we take this box with us?"

"Why are you asking like that?" he asked her confused...

"I didn't know what you would think if I told you that I really wanted Xiao-onesan's things."

"Don't worry...That's why I asked her what they are. We're gonna take them with us, okay?"

Alisa smiled and nodded at him. Soon after, Miharu walked once again inside the living room holding a big orange box in her hands. Hwoarang noticed how she was struggling to hold it and he went to help her...

He set the box on the ground and said...

"What is this thing having inside?"

Miharu shook her head...

"I really don't know...Xiao never allowed me to open this box. As you see, she even locked it."

"I can see that...But didn't she even let you know what was it about?"

"N-No...I have an idea what it might have inside but I won't say it, I'm sorry...If you want to find out, do it yourselves."

Alisa approached Hwoarang and said...

"Lars-senpai might be waiting for us...maybe we..."

"You're right! Well thank you for everything you told us. I'm sorry to hear that you had a fight with Xiaoyu but she's not the type to hold grudges. When she'll relax her mind she'll come to apologize to you." he said turning to face Miharu...

Miharu smiled...

"The only thing I want is for her to be safe...Even if she doesn't come here."

Alisa approached Miharu for a last hug and she hugged her back. She, then, walked them to the door and after she saw them walking outside she said...

"Guys, I hope for both of you to find what you're looking for. And please...Do your best to protect Xiao."

Alisa and Hwoarang nodded and walked outside the front yard and to where Hwoarang's bike was. Miharu, after giving them a last glance, closed the front door of her house behind her...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters, Lars' office...**

Nina and Lars entered his office. He helped her have a seat and asked her if she wanted to have something. She smiled ironically...

"I couldn't tell you're so eager to help sick people?"

"What are you talking about? I'm always willing to help people in need. You just don't appreciate my kind nature, so I don't bother."

She didn't say anything else. But Lars was right. She was really doing that. She never needed men and she only depended on herself. She believed that you must only trust yourself and your instincts. No other person was worthy of her trust...Especially after her father's passing...

"Hey, Nina? Are you listening?"

"Sure, I do..."

"R-Right..." he muttered...

He walked and sat on his CEO seat and placed the belongings he was having inside his pockets on the desk in front of him. He raised his gaze and looked at Nina's blue eyes...

"So? I'm ready to hear you."

"As you ordered me, I tried to find my way inside Heihachi's Research Facility near the Mishima Estate. It was easier than I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"There was a trap door inside the Mishima Gardens."

He raised an eyebrow...

"Why did you even thought of the Mishima Gardens in the first place?"

"Did you have Heihachi Mishima as a guy, who cared about things as taking care of flowers and whatsoever?"

"You're r-right...Then?"

"I searched the whole place and I found it. I found myself wandering exactly underneath the Mishima Estate. As I noticed that was the secret place, where the doctor was working for Heihachi."

"You mean when he kidnapped him after he refused to work with him?"

"Exactly"

"And how can you say that this was the place?"

"I found a lot of the doctor's personal notes and Alisa's prototype design papers. But the most important part is a box I found inside there...It was writing on it "For my daughter Alisa"."

"Did you open it?" he asked her...

She shook her head negatively...

"I would if I could...Oh and I almost forgot something critical."

"What is that?"

"Under the doctor's bed, I found a diary."

His eyes widened...

"W-Where is it then?"

"I was holding it in my hands until this bodyguard of Heihachi's shot me. I hoped that you found it."

"N-No...I didn't and if Alisa or Hwoarang did, they would have told me."

"True...I guess we have no choice but to go back to the Estate. We killed everyone, so no one would have gone there, right?"

Lars nodded unsure. After a while he turned to face Nina and said...

"But why should we search for this diary?"

"Weren't you the one, who wanted to find the doctor's body?"

He nodded...

"I have a feeling that he's alive. He's a bright scientist. It would be a nice idea to get rid of him but even better to kidnap him and have him work for you, right?"

"But then, why does Alisa think of him as dead? She had told me that her mission of saving her father was deleted inside her data and she believed that because of that he had died."

Nina rolled her eyes at him… "Be serious...This man created her. Would it be difficult for him to play a little with that system of hers? He created her for him to have a daughter but since Jin ordered him to create something to protect him, he gave that mission upon Alisa."

"You're making sense...So, there's a chance for the doctor to be alive...I'm wondering why would he want to play it dead?"

"Easy! To erase his existence from the Mishimas. Knowing that Alisa works for the Mishima Zaibatsu and you, he wouldn't take the risk of being brought back here."

"I see..." said Lars and suddenly heard someone knocking on his door…

"Who is it?" he asked and opened the door…

A brown haired woman of a normal height walked inside his office and bowed in front of him…"Mr. Alexandersson, I'm sorry for interrupting you but…"

"It's ok, please, tell me"

The woman nodded and said… "There's a woman calling you, who wishes to speak with you on the phone."

Lars sighed… "Can't you deal with that? I'm busy."

The woman nodded knowing how, truly, busy her boss was but this person on the phone was so damn irritating… "I would surely do that sir. I wouldn't even bother you but she says that you will definitely agree, if I, only, tell you her name."

"What's her name, then?" he asked taking the decision to talk with her in the end…

The woman told Lars her name and he smiled as Nina looked confused at him. The name was familiar to her as well but she wasn't sure… "Pass me the line."

"Yes, sir!" she said and walked outside…

A minute later, Lars having the same smile on his face picked up the phone and said… "Miss Rochefort, to what do I owe this honor?"

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Medical Research Facility...**

Julia Chang was observing Heihachi Mishima's dead body. She found it really spooky having a dead corpse around her but she didn't have another choice. It was her job. Thankfully, a lot of scientists were around her to help her by giving her ideas...But ideas about what? They just needed to make sure that he would stay dead but first they needed to check any abnormalities within his DNA. This man except from using any person as a test subject, he even took the risk of using his own. Julia walked to the computers and started looking at the screen. She barely understood what she was watching. For sure, she was going to need Alisa's help. She took off her glasses to clean them and that time a red haired woman, who was wearing a white robe, approached her...

"Miss Chang?"

Julia was startled by her sudden appearance but she turned to face her and said...

"Oh...How can I help you?"

The woman hugged the files she was holding close to her chest and said...

"It's nothing work related...There's just someone, who wants to see you."

She turned to where the woman was pointing and saw a man leaning on the door. She smiled slightly and stood up. She thanked the woman and walked to his place...

"Tougou...Good morning!"

"Good day! How are you doing here? Did you find your pace?"

Julia smiled a little but then sighed...

"P-Pace you say? I wouldn't say that"

A frown appeared above his eyebrows...

"What's wrong?"

"Well...It's not like I feel out of place but...You see, in every place I've worked before, I was an employee, so I'm more used to in accepting orders...than giving them."

Tougou smiled and touched her shoulder...

"Well..."

Suddenly, he noticed where he had his hand placed and removed it in an instant. He felt somehow embarrassed and Julia was confused because of that...

"Are you ok?" she said...

He looked at her full of concern face and said...

"Ah...sure! What I wanted to say was that I'm positive that you'll make it through."

Julia scratched the back of her head and smiled...

"It's really wonderful when even one person believes in you. It gets up your spirits...Thank you!"

"You don't need to thank me...But to be honest I don't think that this is your only problem. What is it?"

"Was it really that obvious? I mean my face?"

"Huh?"

"You may find it childish but I feel a little chilly."

Tougou looked around him and said...

"Is it cold inside here?"

She shook her head negatively...

"No...I don't mean that."

"So?"

"With a dead corpse inside here and especially when it belongs to Heihachi Mishima...You can guess what I feel."

He nodded. He was used in been around dead bodies unlike her but he was feeling the same way when he first became a soldier...

"I think that you will get used to it by the days passing."

"I guess..." she muttered...

"But as I remember didn't Lars tell you that Alisa would be assisting you?"

Julia nodded...

"Sure and she'll come but she needed to do something with that Hwoarang guy."

"I understood..."

There was a moment of silence until Julia said...

"By the way, why did you come?"

"Just to see how you were doing."

"Uh...Thanks...You're so considerate."

Tougou sighed and turned to leave...

"I'm only in certain circumstances...Anyway, I need to get going. See you later!"

"S-Sure...See you." she said and watched him as he walked away...

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Entrance Gate...**

The gate of the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters opened when Hwoarang appeared in front of it sitting on a motorcycle with Alisa on the back, who was holding an orange box. They waited until the gate opened completely and then he drove the bike back to the garage. They hopped off of it and he placed the keys inside his pocket. He saw as Alisa started walking holding the box and he stopped her...

"Yo! Give me that."

Alisa looked at him...

"I can handle it." she said...

"I can't let a girl as cute as you keep holding it."

Alisa was left speechless. She just witnessed as Hwoarang took the box from her hands and started walking inside the building. After noticing that she was left behind she made some quick steps to his direction. Soon after they were inside the Zaibatsu and Alisa remembered that she was supposed to go and help Julia. She stopped Hwoarang and said...

"I'm sorry but I was supposed to do something."

He nodded...

"I see...Well, I'll keep the box inside my bedroom and then you can take it."

"Why aren't you keeping it?"

"You know, I'll leave tomorrow...So..."

"I see...I'll come and get it later."

"Good!"

With that Alisa bowed in front of him, something which made him roll his eyes, and then he watched her leave. After that, he made his way to his room to leave the box and then to Lars' office...

 **Lars' office...**

Lars stood up from the floor and wiped the sweat from his stomach, chest and face. Nina after talking to him about what she found out, she left to go and rest by Lars' command. He had a lot in his mind. He was still waiting for Kazuya's next move, how Julia was doing with Heihachi, the phone call a while ago, also, the thing that tomorrow he had to go with Hwoarang to Osaka and what were they going to face there. Of course he meant of how disappointing the case with the recruits was there. Lastly, one thing that worried him was the doctor's whereabouts. What if he was alive? Why did he make Alisa believe he was dead? A headache was coming to his head because of all this thinking that he decided to follow Tougou's advice and start practicing a little. For the time being, he started with some push-ups to release himself from his thoughts. He knew that as the CEO he should be the one worrying about everything and try to fix everything on time but this thing he would have been delighted to do it, if he was working for a normal company and not one as the Mishima Zaibatsu or the G-Corporation...

He threw the towel on the chair opposite his office and walked to the black leather couch of his office to wear his shirt back… He was supposed to go and take a shower first but he decided to wait and have a talk with Hwoarang as he wanted...

Suddenly, the door opened and the man he wanted to see appeared. Lars sighed as he saw him walking further inside...

"Would you mind knocking on the door next time?"

"Why would I do that?" he said...

Lars walked and sat on his seat. He filled a glass with some water and said once again...

"What if I was naked?"

The auburn haired man sat opposite him and started playing with the bike's keys...

"I wouldn't see something I don't have...And anyway, why would you be naked inside here?"

"Ah...I was doing some push-ups."

"What for?" he said looking at his direction...

"To blew my mind of something."

"If you want to forget just get yourself drunk, you idiot?" he said and sighed...

Hwoarang remembered as Baek was making him do one thousand push-ups for whatever disobedience towards him. The number of the push-ups was every time the same...From the biggest fault to the simplest thing a hot headed man as himself would do. He, then, heard Lars saying...

"Drinking just to make myself forget is pointless and not to mention bad for my liver."

"True..." said Hwoarang and placed the keys inside his pocket...

"Anyway...I needed to see you. Good thing you came."

"What did you want with me?"

"Except from the thing that we will be leaving very early tomorrow, I needed to ask you if you found any kind of diary inside the Mishima Estate."

His eyes widened. Could it be that he knows of Xiaoyu's diary? But what a girl's mere diary would do for him? Or did he know of Jin's relationship with her? Impossible...

"W-What diary are you talking about?"

"Nina said it was light grey colored...She dropped it when she was shot."

He relaxed himself realizing that they were talking for completely different things. So, they didn't know. Good thing...

He, suddenly, heard Lars saying...

"Hey? Are you listening to me?"

"Just shut up, Alexandersson! I was thinking of what you asked me."

"It didn't seem so, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you, smartass"

Lars relaxed his back on the chair and took out his cellphone to check the time. It was time...

"Well, I'd like to ask something last from you." he said and stood up...

"What thing?"

"Since you've been in the mansion, you'd know which places to check. Can you please go back to the Estate to help Tougou with that?"

Hwoarang stood up...

"I can't believe you, man...You sent your own captain to check for a mere diary?"

Lars took his cellphone and his car's keys and started walking to the door...

"Believe me...This diary is not something to laugh it off. If we find it...Well...It would be a huge success and help to us."

The younger man scratched the back of his head and said when he saw Lars opening the door...

"You're the boss...Whatever you say."

Lars looked at him for a moment before turning in front of him again to leave...

"Good...Tougou is already at the reception. Don't let him wait!"

"I get it..."

Before Hwoarang was ready to leave for good this time, Lars stopped him again with his voice… "A minute, please!"

"What is it this time?" he asked as he shot him a murderous glare…

"We won't leave at the time we were supposed to tomorrow."

"Huh? And why's that? Wanna sleep more? And you call yourself a leader? Faker!" he said as he raised an eyebrow and, of course, irritating Lars…

"Cut your bullshit. There's another person, who's going to come…As one of the recruits, however…"

"Who?"

Lars smiled and stood up… "A very cute and lovely lady."

Hwoarang didn't comment on what Lars just said. He nodded slowly and then made his way outside with quick steps…

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Medical Research Facility...**

Alisa and Julia were making some progress in what they were supposed to do. Julia needed Alisa's advice because she had something inside her mind but she didn't want to do rush movements. As she told Alisa, she wanted to inspect Heihachi's DNA. She wanted to see if he had made any experiments inside his body and what kind of. She believed that if she was to do that, they needed to revive him in some degree, something that would be risky and anyway, it was something only Julia wanted to do...

"So, that's what I wanted to check. Pretty stupid, isn't it?"

Alisa shook her head negatively. All scientists had this kind of curiosity. Sometimes it was a good thing because it could help humanity but in other occasions, such as Julia's, which were just to satisfy their own selves, it could be fatal. Of course, she knew that the woman next to her didn't have bad intentions but as both of them knew, it was really risky. The pink haired woman looked at the brunette next to her and said wanting to encourage her spirits...

"It's a good thing that we prepared the poison. It will extinguish every cell inside him in an instant but about what you asked me. I know that it's risky and I won't definitely suggest proceeding in trying to revive him but I believe I could do something for you, Miss Chang."

Julia gave her a small smile...

"And what this might be?"

"If I could have just some drops of his blood, even if he's in that state, I could use my scanning to see if I can figure out something of what you're looking for."

"Really?!"

Alisa nodded...

"But I'm not sure..."

Julia walked to the place with the medical tools and took a syringe and a wide small circular urn. She walked to where Heihachi's body was and set the syringe and the urn next to her, where a small table was placed. She tied a tourniquet around the arm to make the vein prominent, then took the syringe in her hand and proceeded to draw blood from his vein. After taking the wished quantity, Julia removed the syringe from his body and transferred the blood to the small circular urn. She removed the tourniquet from his arm as well and placed it on the table next to the bed. After that, she threw the empty now syringe inside a bin and walked to Alisa's side passing her the small urn...

Alisa activated her data and started scanning. With the blood cells dead it was really difficult to have a result but she kept trying. She found out something as his blood type, the amount of the blood cells in his body but about what Julia asked her she didn't found much. She stopped scanning when she didn't find anything else and looked at Julia, who seemed disappointed as well...

"I'm sorry, Miss Chang...I couldn't find anything. It's true that he tried some things inside his body but as I noticed they had no result, so I couldn't tell what it was. I really am sorry, I disappointed you, please forgive me."

Julia touched her shoulder and said...

"Don't say that! You didn't disappoint me or anything. I was just curious and you tried to make me a favor. You have nothing to apologize for, ok?"

Alisa smiled and nodded...

"But if I may ask...Why did you want to know?"

"You see...I always wanted to know what this man wanted to do with the devil gene. It wasn't just to take it from Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama for him to kill them much easier. I was always wondering what kind of experiments he tried on his victims."

Alisa looked away. She started remembering things again. About this boy she managed to develop feelings for and that horrible man killed him. Julia noticed her saddened expression and said...

"Alisa? Are you ok?"

The girl nodded at the young woman and asked her...

"Shall we continue now what we were supposed to do?"

"Sure...Let's move."

That time, Julia went to turn on the computers, which were connected to his body making his cells visible to them. Then, she walked to where Alisa was now next to Heihachi body and noticed that she was having the syringes with the poison next to her. She touched her shoulder and said...

"Are you ready?"

Alisa smiled and Julia gave her one of the syringes. The other scientists, who were assisting Julia, had helped her find the parts on the body, where she was supposed to insert the poison. After some time they finished poisoning the body and the two walked in front of the computers witnessing how the poison was killing instantly each one of his cells. It was silent until Alisa said...

"Miss Chang?"

"Yes?"

"Are you still curious about these experiments?"

Julia smiled to herself...

"I sure am but I have to pull myself together and work properly for Lars."

"I...I mean...I know of a place, where there are the records of these experiments."

"You serious?" said Julia turning to face her...

Alisa nodded...

"The place is the Mishima Polytechnic"

"His school?!" she said surprised...

"Yes...I happened to find out because of a friend. She figured out that we may find answers about what we were looking for there."

"She was a student of this school?"

"Ahh...yes..."

" _She's obviously Ling Xiaoyu. This girl appears smarter than she looks. So, she's not only an amazing fighter. As it seems her own grandfather underestimates her."_ Julia thought and she remembered Wang Jinrey when he was shouting at his granddaughter in the tournaments...

"Well, will you show me? How about tomorrow that Lars won't be here?"

"Sure!" said Alisa...

"Then, it's a deal!" said Julia giving her hand for a handshake...

"What kind of deal did you two have?" said Lars suddenly, while walking inside...

His appearance startled her...

"Oh Lars...You startled me...Be careful next time, ok?"

Lars smiled and nodded...

"So? What deal are you talking about?"

Julia thought that it would be better if Lars didn't know, since it was something only herself was curious about...

"N-Nothing important...I promised Alisa that since she helped me today, I could pay her back by buying her a flower hairpin when I'll have the chance."

Lars seemed that he believed her and Julia sighed in relief. She, of course, felt bad that she lied to him but she couldn't help it. Thankfully, Alisa didn't talk to him...

"Well, did you finish with him?"

Julia looked at the computer and noticed that the procedure was finished. She turned to face Lars and said...

"Just now!"

"Good...I'll call my men to get rid of the body."

"And how are you gonna do that?"

Lars took out his cellphone to inform his men...

"By burning him of course..."

"L-Lars...I would have never guessed that you have so many sadistic tendencies."

"How are you calling me a sadist when he won't feel any pain at all?"

"Ugh...In the same time, you sound a little disappointed as well." She said and crossed her arms…

"Well then, maybe I really keep a sadist hidden within me."

"Hehe..."

Lars placed the phone next to his ear and asked from some soldiers to come in. Three minutes later they were already inside the building and saluted in front of Lars. Julia had already disconnected every cable from his body and the soldiers after Lars' command took the body to do as their leader had asked them before coming here. They watched as they were taking the body away and then the blond man turned to face the two women...

"Shall we go now?"

The two nodded and after they took their things they left the building...

 **Mishima Estate...**

Hwoarang and Tougou along with some other soldiers were looking for this diary. Even Tougou, after Hwoarang's question, didn't know what this diary was about. But they had to follow orders. They split around the mansion until after some time they found themselves back to where they began looking. They both sighed desperately...There was no sign of this diary...Hwoarang looked at Tougou, while the latter started taking out his cellphone...

"You know...Why are we not looking inside the mansion?"

"You have a point but still...Nina has said that the diary fell from her hands when she was shot and as you told me it was this place."

"R-Right..."

Tougou called his troops and asked them to join them. He looked at Hwoarang, who was having a puzzled expression and said...

"But I don't see anything wrong in checking it out. Why don't you do it while we're gathering the bodies?"

"You're going to do that?!"

He nodded...

"Yes, they don't deserve not being buried. It's disgraceful."

"Did Lars ask you to do that?" he said guessing that this was the case...

"N-No...I thought that we should do that...These men were just following orders."

"Mmm...I see...I'm going now and I'll find you at the front gate, ok?"

Tougou nodded and watched him as he left...

Hwoarang walked inside the Estate and saw everything as they left it yesterday. However, he decided to follow Miharu's advice and walked to Xiaoyu's room. He was surprised with what he saw. The wardrobe was wide open, the drawers the same...He decided to check the drawer next to her bed, he opened it and saw what he expected. There was nothing inside there...All the photos Xiaoyu kept inside there and all her personal belongings were missing...

"So...she must have come back here..." he said to himself...

He stood up and for him to be sure he rushed further inside to inspect the rest of the mansion...

In the end, he found nothing and made his way to meet with Tougou as they said. He saw the man waiting for him and walked faster...

"Did you find anything?" he asked him...

"N-No...It was just a loss of time...What about you? Did you finish?"

"Yes...My men took them and I'll ask Lars later about what to do with them."

Hwoarang nodded...

"Shall we go, then?"

"Sure."

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **In the next chapter we'll see how Zafina is doing… (It was about time)**


	8. Chapter 7,5

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 7,5 (not really a chapter, more like a way to show how Lili decided to suddenly throw herself into the battlefield)**

 **Monaco, Rochefort Mansion…**

Lili Rochefort couldn't be happier for Jin Kazama's death. That man destroyed both hers and especially her dear father's life. The poor man lost his oil fields because of him and went bankrupt. His health wasn't good either. He was a frail person, when it was coming to his health, with manners, who disliked violence. That was his vulnerability and, of course, his beautiful daughter or his little princess as he called her. Thankfully, the promise Lars Alexandersson gave her became reality and he got rid of Jin Kazama for her. Well, that was the truth, Lili and people, who didn't know the whole story, believed. And it's not like she cared about the story, in the first place. That hateful man was dead, end of story…

A year later, she learnt of Lars Alexandersson being the new CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu and that not because she was reading the news but because Lars gave back to her father his oil fields. Lili smiled when she read the letter of apology this man sent them. So, he wasn't only handsome but fair as well. The blonde girl hoped that she would have the chance to pay him somehow. Some time later she saw on TV Kazuya Mishima declaring war against the Mishima Zaibatsu. She became restless as she found out about this. Was he going to take her father's fortune as well? Will she have to suffer the same as before? However, this time she wasn't going to just stand there…

In the end, after some months, she found out how to dissuade this and the conclusion was to aid Lars Alexandersson. She would have to go to Japan once again but this time she wasn't going there to make difficult her rival's life but to fight for her father. She asked from Sebastian to find a way for her to communicate with Lars but it wasn't as difficult as she expected it…

 **Yesterday…**

"Sebastian? Did you do as I asked you? Stop slacking off!"

The understanding loyal butler heard his mistress' demanding voice. The man knew of the young girl's bossy character but he was aware of her hiding deep inside a gentle and caring side, which she didn't show only towards her father. There were times that she was kind to her butler as well…Rare times to be honest…

Sebastian knocked the door of Lili's bedroom and she let him in. He approached her as she was having her afternoon tea sitting in her room's pink themed living room. Yes, Lili Rochefort's bedroom was like a common person's whole house…

"Miss Lili?"

"What is it?" she asked with a not so pleased expression. The young woman had already asked Sebastian to find ways of communication with Lars Alexandersson since this morning and it was now afternoon. Everyone was saying it. Sebastian was a man with lots of patience…

"I've found what you wanted." He said giving her a phone and a paper with a number on it…

Her whole face lit up and smiled… "At last some satisfying news! And what is this?" she said as she took the paper in her hands…

"The Mishima Zaibatsu's communication phone number."

Lili rolled her eyes irritated… "Seriously? If it was that simple I wouldn't have even asked for your help. You really are getting old, aren't you?"

"My apologies, if I disappointed you, Miss. But if this man's personal office number isn't enough, should I try asking for a meeting? Though that will take long."

"Personal, you say?"

He gave her a nod. Lili opened the paper with the phone number once again and Sebastian gave her the phone under her command…

"Why didn't you say that earlier? You know that I don't like being angry. I'm frowning and I'll get wrinkles earlier than that pest called Asuka Kazama, if I do that."

"I'll ask again for you to forgive me."

She sighed and said… "Whatever, I forgive you, now leave me alone. I'll call you when I finish."

"As you wish" Sebastian bowed and left her room…

Lili crossed her slender legs and called the number…

She waited for some seconds until someone answered the phone…

"Hello…Mr. Alexandersson?...Then, who are you?...Whatever, I'd like to speak with your boss. What do you mean I can't and stop threatening me? Just tell him my name and he will happily agree to speak with me…Tell him that the girl, who gave him the SUV back there wishes to talk with him. My name's Lili."

Lili was having a conversation with a completely annoying woman. She was possibly his secretary but then why did she answer his personal office number? Well, she didn't care as soon as she had the chance to have a private talk with him. A minute later, a male charming voice was heard from the opposite line and Lili heard him calling her name…

"Yes, it's me! I'm so glad you decided to answer me…By the way, thanks for the letter, it was very thoughtful of you…Oh yes! I heard the news of the head of G-Corporation making a war against you…I know…About what I want. I was always thinking of a way to repay you since you granted my wish and I believe that assisting you in any way I can in this war is more than enough. Well, I have my personal reasons as well…So? I'm aware of that, I'm not a child!...I understand but can I make a suggestion? I want to be taken seriously, as I said I have my reasons…Good…What about me joining your army?...You can check my abilities anytime you want…So?...Oh yes, thank you. I will be there by tomorrow. Seriously? I appreciate it. I wish you well, Mr. Alexandersson! Farewell!"

The young girl closed the phone and smiled to herself. She looked at the clock, which was placed opposite her on the wall…

"I don't have much time. I must leave and make sure father's not going to notice, at least until I'm on the airplane."

She sighed thinking that she didn't want to lie to her father but she didn't have another choice. She cleared her throat and said…

"SEBASTIAN!"

 **The same night…**

"I miss father already…" whispered Lili as she was having her flight to Japan…

Sebastian wanted to accompany her but the young girl considered him a hindrance and that he will bring her misfortune. These last two years, Lili came to the conclusion that both times she lost to her rival, Sebastian was present. The last thing she wanted was to fail again because of his bad luck. She sighed thinking that she had hours ahead of her before she would arrive. She decided that she could have some sleep, since she didn't want for Lars to see her with an unsightly skin complexion. She took out of her bag three face creams and one for her hands. Good, she had everything she needed. She pulled the mirror, her seat was having on top of her, down and proceeded to make herself "acceptable". Lili was a very graceful and pretty girl. She was spoiled and loved by her father but deep inside there were hints of insecurity. Is father pleased with me? Am I a bother to him? When will I find my chance to defeat that eyesore Asuka Kazama? Or when will I fall in love? Her mind would be filled with this kind of thoughts, even though she could care less about the last thing but it wouldn't be a bad thing if she was to find her prince charming. A love relationship in the battlefield…So romantic…

"And that was all" she said after finishing placing some lip balm on her lips. She placed all her creams inside her bag and pushed the mirror up. She rested her back on the comfortable seat and before she was ready to close her eyes, she remembered to take out her teddy bear. She smiled as she remembered that it was a present from her father. She shut her eyes and held it tightly in her arms…

 **Next day, Tokyo, Airport…**

"Miss? Miss?" said the flight attendant as she was shaking gently Lili's shoulder trying to wake her up. However, the only thing she managed to do was to make her snore louder. True…When Lili was stressed she was snoring. Finally, the older woman managed to wake her up and said…

"Sweetheart, we're here. Good morning!"

"Good…Morning and here?"

The woman looked confused at her. Lili looked around her and realized everything. Where she was and why she was here…

"I understand now…So, we've arrived." She said and the woman nodded…

"I see…Just give me a minute to make my make-up and then you can guide me out."

"Eh?"

…

Soon enough, Lili found herself inside the airport waiting to take her suitcase. She was looking at her light pink colored nails, while she was waiting for her bag. Some minutes later, she found it and as she proceeded to take it, a masculine hand did it for her. Her eyes widened and she looked at the person. A blush appeared on her face as she watched his handsome face…

"Did you have a nice flight, Miss Rochefort?" said Lars Alexandersson as he took her suitcase in his hand and gave her his arm to take it…

Lili smiled and wrapped her hands around his arms… "It was pleasant enough! But how come you're here. I thought you would be waiting outside."

"The airport belongs to the Zaibatsu…"

" _That too?"_ thought Lili in irony…

"…so I'm allowed to do whatever I want."

"Is that so?" she said and Lars nodded…

…

When they were out of the building, Lars led Lili to his car and placed her suitcase inside the trunk. He wondered why it was so heavy. He walked to his driver's seat and saw Lili sitting next to him…

"You have a very luxurious car, Mr. Alexandersson."

"You think? It's nice, I believe…Say, Miss Rochefort, why was your bag so heavy?" he asked and witnessed a confused face expression…

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently…

"Uh…Forget it. It's rude to ask what's inside."

Lili smiled once again and waved her hands at him… "Oh not at all! I know that, unfortunately, I'm going to wear special clothes but you can't deny me my underwear, right?"

"Uh…Sure!"

"Thanks, I, also, have my make-up and my hair products. How do you think I maintain this beautiful sun-colored blonde hair?"

Lars turned on the engine and started driving. He was listening to Lili talking to him and was thinking if it was really a good idea that he accepted her proposal. Maybe, he should have dissuaded her. She was a very innocent girl for a war like this…

"Truth is there are magnificent but it sure is a waste."

"Waste? Huh?"

"Well…"

…

 **One hour later…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters…**

"No! No! I don't want to!" said Lili as tears started falling from her eyes… "Please, Lars…No, Master Lars…"

Lars walked to the girl's side as she was seated on the chair opposite him. He touched her shoulder and kneeled in front of her. "Lili, if we leave it like that, it will be a bother for you."

"But…B-But…My hair is my pride." She said once again as she started sniffing…

Lars raised an eyebrow confusingly and said to her… "Your hair? Your appearance is the last thing you should be proud in yourself. By the way, I'm, also, complimenting your looks, ok? What I want to say is that you're a kind, mannered girl, who even helped me. You're graceful and smart."

Hwoarang and Tougou, who were standing by the door all this time, looked at each other and rolled their eyes…

" _That guy…He's a natural…"_ thought Hwoarang as he saw the young girl nodding her head…

"Ok…I get it…But we won't cut them over my shoulders, ok?"

Lars stood up and nodded… "Of course not!"

Lili sighed and watched Lars calling his secretary and telling her something…

"Lili, would you like to eat or drink something as we're waiting for the beautician?"

The blonde long-haired, for the time being, girl wasn't even in the mood to eat but her stomach had a mind on its own. She looked at him and nodded…

 **Thanks for reading! The real chapter is next!**


	9. Chapter 8

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything.

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **THREE MONTHS LATER**

 **Middle East, Zafina's village...**

The small village was starting to grow faster and faster by the days passing. The people were truly satisfied with their hard work. The buildings were back to their original state before they had to leave them behind being burnt and damaged, two years ago. They were tired but their work paid off. They could be proud off their village once again. Moreover, their businesses started to get better by time. The village's merchants were having journeys to the eastern Asia to sell their local products and managed to come back having sold almost everything. Their lives couldn't be better was all they believed and they were grateful to the stars for being so generous to them...

However, a certain woman couldn't be as happy as she wanted with this entire situation. These last three months had been really cruel to her. A vision was coming one after another. Each one was different than the other but in the same time it was just one vision with its multiple choices to follow. On the other hand she wasn't the one, who was making the choices and that was what hurt her the most. She knew everything but she was able to do nothing. She was really close in having a break down. Is there anything crueler than knowing of the world's end and can't do anything to dissuade it?

"And then the dark blue sky was filled with stars once again making the village's people find great happiness...The end." Said Zafina with a smile and closed the book...

An amount of children were looking awed at her. They were gathered around her in a circle and she was sitting in its end. She had already read to them ten stories but this last one was always their favorite. Maybe, because it was coming from her, she was adored by the village's children since she was playing with them and taught them a lot of useful things. For them, Zafina was a role model...

A child looked at the sky before placing his hand above his eyes for the sun to not blind him. Zafina looked at his puzzled expression. He had the same expression since she started telling this story...

"Zafina? Why can't we reach the stars at night?" said the child...

"What made you ask this?" she said...

"Yesterday I climbed the hill with my brother. I tried and tried to reach them but I couldn't. He said that I won't be able to catch any of them. Why don't they let us touch them?"

She smiled. Amina asked her the same question when she was in their age...

"You see...We call the stars our protectors, don't we?"

The children nodded...

"It's not that they wouldn't let us touch them but it's us that can't."

"Why?"

"The world is big...Very big, you see. For them to be able and protect the whole world with the other children within it, they must be really high in the sky to see when a helpless child is in danger and help it."

The child nodded and drifted in his thoughts. Zafina looked at him and then at the other children around her. She was ready to dismiss them until the girl, who was sitting next to her touched her hand and said...

"When a star falls where is it going?"

She stood up and the children followed after her. She patted the girl's head and said...

"A fallen star is a gift to the saddest child. It falls to its hands and then guides it to find happiness once again. With its light it gives hope that it's more than enough for that child to continue his life."

"Does that mean that if I try to be sad, a star will fall in my hands?"

She gave a weak smile to the girl's direction...

"That's true...But do you want to feel sad and miserable just for a star to fall in your hands? Don't you prefer to never be in that situation?"

The girl nodded. Zafina, then, dismissed the children and when she made sure that they were all safe inside their houses, she made her way to her own. She opened the door and closed it behind her. She looked around for her sister but she was nowhere to be found. Amina was probably preoccupied preparing, alongside other women, different fabrics for the travelers to sell. It was another time of the year for them to have another journey.

She let her hair down and massaged lightly her head with her fingers for a while. The day started good for her being with the children but the previous night she didn't have almost any sleep. She studied every book concerning the tomb she had to protect and how she was supposed to do so. The result was somehow confusing. There was no way to open the gate but in the same time there was one. In the end, the only thing she cared about was how to act while in that mission and no if there was any way to open the gate. She wouldn't dare think about it. She was fearless but not daring. She couldn't live with the thought that, if the gate was opened and it was her fault, her village and along with it its people and especially her sister would be dead.

Zafina had recently obtained her father's journal from the guru. Different kind of researches concerning the ancient tombs he was protecting while he was still alive were written in each one of the pages. Her father was not only a protector, he was indeed interested in what made these treasured buildings so sacred and worthy of protecting. Was it something evil? That was something he didn't know. Was it something so powerful that if it was in the wrong hands could be fatal? This version made more sense.

She walked to hers and Amina's bedroom and relaxed her body on the bed. She exhaled once and opened the journal. She turned the pages she had already read and stopped suddenly when she noticed a page having a speck of blood on it. That drawn her attention. She noticed her father's handwriting, which was a little unstable. Obviously, from the blood on the page, he was injured. In the end, she started reading...

 _Today on our way to the tomb we came across some weird dressed people_

 _We saw them examining it and trying to open it._

 _Didn't they know? No one dares to try opening this building..._

 _The wrath of the Gods will fall upon them if they do so..._

 _We noticed something weapon like in their hands..._

 _Our instincts warned us of dangerous and ruthless people..._

 _We had to do something. This is our duty to the people of our village...To our loved ones..._

 _We took out our knives and ran there. They pointed their guns to our direction and we stopped our pace._

 _Who knows what kind of power lies within them?_

 _A man walked between two of the men, who were aiming us. His cold gaze was bad news..._

 _He walked further closer to him. As the leader he thought that we should confront him. He was right!_

 _Our leader said to the man that the tomb is dangerous and that it shouldn't be opened for the world's safety._

 _The man opposite us didn't give him the chance to explain further and just killed him..._

 _That time we saw what these weapons were about...An instantaneous death..._

 _The rage that consumed us couldn't be described in words. My comrades and I started fighting these other men._

 _The old man walked further inside to check the building along with some people, who were wearing white robes._

 _I wanted to kill him behind his back but I couldn't leave my friends behind._

 _We killed some of them but so they did with us..._

 _I was hearing my comrades' death cries and how the blood was creating a small pool around their bodies._

 _Soon after, I felt something scratching deeply my arm's skin. I fell on the ground and touched my wound..._

 _I was in such pain...NO...I STILL am..._

 _I turned my head and saw one of them pointing his weapon at me. I closed my eyes tightly fearing for my life..._

 _Suddenly, I felt his body falling beside me. I raised my head to see one of my friends in front of me. He saved my life..._

 _I didn't manage to thank him. He just shouted some words to me..._

 _He ordered me to flee as soon as I can..._

 _I didn't want to and he noticed the doubts in my eyes..._

 _He said that from all of them, I must be the one to stay alive. I was the one, who was having not only a responsibility to my fellow villagers but, also, and more importantly to a woman and a child..._

 _These words of his made me think of my wife's beautiful face and my daughter's smile...My Zafina's reassuring smile..._

 _I nodded my head to my superior and started crawling away from the battlefield..._

 _No one noticed me and soon I found my way to hide behind a huge rock._

 _With my right hand I took out my journal and started writing..._

 _This was all that happened...I don't know if I will be able to return to the village...To my wife and child..._

 _I don't even know if this man will manage to open the building's gate..._

 _If someone of my comrades finds me, being dead or alive, I can only tell this man's name..._

 _Heihachi Mishima..._

Zafina's eyes widened and in an instant she closed the journal and stood up. Her father had met a Mishima as well, the worst of all. She walked out of the bedroom and bumped on her sister. She lost her balance and made some clumsy steps back to find it. Amina looked confused at her. What happened all of a sudden? When she entered the house, she walked to the bedroom and saw her reading a book. Even though she didn't notice her, she had a calm expression on her face...

"Sister, what's wrong?"

Zafina touched her sister's shoulders and said...

"It's nothing, I just lost my balance."

She nodded. Suddenly, she saw her walking to the door. Where was she going?

"Where are you going? It's time for lunch."

Zafina opened the door and said turning a little her head to face her sister...

"I know, Amina. I won't be late, ok?"

Amina didn't manage to protest and only saw her sister closing their house's door behind her. She dropped her shoulders and proceeded to prepare some food for them...

She was cooking for a while now and she was thinking of her sister. She knew of course that Zafina lied to her but in the same time she knew that even if she was about to ask her, she would lie to her once again and only to "protect" her. Amina was thinking...How was Zafina protecting her by telling her nothing? She knew everything that had to do with her family's gift...or curse as the young girl always thought of it. She released herself from her thoughts when she noticed that their dinner was ready. She turned off the fire and mixed the food inside the pot for the last time.

The woman with quick steps made her way to the guru's isolated small house. She arrived at the doorway and pulled quietly the curtain fearing not to startle him. She walked inside and looked around the place. She saw him as he was drinking some wine looking outside the window as always. The guru heard her but didn't turn to face her. He knew why she had come and what she was going to ask him. He had to tell her things about her past and specifically not her own but her parents'. Zafina was waiting for the man to talk to her but in the end she made the first step...

"M-Master...I..."

"I know why you're here, my dear." He said interrupting her...

His thoughts were confirmed when he noticed the journal in her right hand. He refilled his glass with some wine for the second time and then he turned to face her...

"Have a seat" he said and the woman did as he told her...

"Even though I gave you that journal, months ago, why did you read it now?"

"No reason, I believe...The only thing I was thinking was if I could find something to comfort me through my father's words."

"You did?"

Zafina let out a desperate sigh. Wasn't it obvious that she didn't? But she didn't have the audacity to talk back to the man, who was by her side all this time after her father passed away.

"I did not...On the other hand I would say that I did exactly the opposite."

"What do you mean?"

"You were the one, who told me that there were people in the past, who were investigating this exact tomb, as well. It was Heihachi Mishima, right? My mother's killer..."

He nodded and Zafina's blood started boiling inside her veins. She didn't know how she was killed but only the fact that her father was mumbling with anger his name in his nightmares. She was fifteen years old when that happened. She couldn't forget how sorrowful her father was and how Amina was asking for her mother all day while crying. She couldn't accept her mother's passing either but someone was needed to stay strong. A year after that her father had somehow got over it and Amina, as the little child that she was, managed to get over the death of her mother as well, even sooner than their father did. Zafina remembered that time when her father hugged her and told her. As she remembered, it was the last time she saw him alive...

" _Zafina, my child..." he said and touched her shoulders..._

" _Yes, father?"_

" _I'll be leaving again..."_

 _Zafina frowned and touched her father's hands. Why did that have to happen? Just when they started to get back to normal?_

" _Why? Why should it be you? Just when we started to become a family again?"_

" _Zafina..." he said and hushed her..._

" _I don't know what words I must choose. Your mother would know."_

 _He caressed her black hair and kissed her forehead..._

" _You're a grown woman now. When I was proved weak you stood strong by my side. You acted like a mother to your sister. We didn't...No...I didn't let you mourn for your mother as you would have wished. I was so selfish."_

" _Don't say that! You loved mother so much. She died so...so suddenly. We didn't even have the chance to kiss her, hug her and tell her that we will always love her."_

 _Her father hugged her..._

" _She already knew that...And she will continue loving us as well. Wherever she is right now."_

" _You're right"_

 _._

 _._

" _I'm so proud of you, Zafina...And you must know something...Your father will always be by your side. Whenever you need me I'll be there...With you...Always!" he said and gave her a smile..._

" _Father..."_

"Zafina?" said the guru...

She looked startled at him. She lost herself in the last moments with her father. He taught her everything she knew. That was and the reason why she chose that way of living. While living as a protector, she would continue her father's legend. He would stay alive like that...

"What is it, master?"

"You know that this man killed your mother but not how or the reason, right?"

She nodded...

"It was around when your mother started to get control of her power. Sometimes I wish I never taught her but there's nothing we can do now. Anyway, it was the second time this man came here. Your father asked me if he should confront him but I declined. It was too dangerous. There was no way to open that gate with how things were. Nothing could open it and even if they decided to destroy it they would only manage to make the tomb in ruins. So, there was no reason for unnecessary doings...However, your mother was worried. She said something about a god rising again from the ruins and maybe that was what the man was looking for. I tried to reassure her telling her that nothing exists in the tomb. At first, she seemed as if she accepted what I was trying to make her believe and then she left my house. "

The guru stopped for a moment. He blamed himself for what happened to the woman. Zafina looked with concern to the guru's direction and she noticed his saddened eyes...

"M-Master...Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes...The same night, I was sitting as always here by the window looking outside. It was peaceful until I saw a woman's figure running to the tomb's direction. I was certain that it was your mother and I ran to find your father and go after her. He was still training and that's why he didn't see her leaving. I found him and we started running there...but we were too late. The moment we arrived, we saw your mother being shot by this man's soldiers. Your father couldn't move his body and I didn't know what to say. The soldiers left in an instant and I approached her...I called her name...She looked at me and then at your father, who was standing above me. He kneeled down and took her in his arms. Her whole body was trembling. We knew that she wouldn't make it and your father couldn't stop his tears. I still remember your mother's words to your father... _"Save your tears...Zafina and Amina are still with you and you need to do your best for them...I was careless...Don't do the same mistakes as I did. You must only protect the girls. Make them your priority."_ She was still harsh on him till her death, I have to give her that."

"So, that was how it happened. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Your father didn't want you to know. He was afraid that if he was about to tell you the reason, he would have to tell you about the gift as well. He didn't want to trouble your family anymore. That is what he believed."

Both of them stayed silent for some time until something troubled Zafina's mind. She looked at the guru and said gaining his attention...

"Master, you almost know everything about my visions. I suppose the same was happening with my mother and that's why you warned her so many times. What was her last vision about?"

"I had a feeling you would ask that. Well...even though, you saw Azazel in your vision, this tomb your father, back then, and you now have to protect have nothing to do with him. There's only a certain person, who can open this gate. With a unique power...Nothing like the ones you faced before. It's very interesting, this kind of power."

"Could it be that you know where she was referring to?" she asked with a look full of expectation in her eyes...

The guru sighed and nodded slowly...

Sometime later, Zafina left the guru's house and made her way to her own since her sister was waiting for her all this time. She was determent. She was going to start looking for the person even if she had to see a million of visions. But the guru warned her as well. He told her to not waste her power over something like this since he believed that this power no longer existed. She listened to him and took in consideration his words but she wouldn't lose anything by looking into it...

She arrived at her house and opened the door. Amina was looking angrily at her and Zafina smiled. She placed the journal on a small table and approached her sister, who was sitting on some pillows waiting for her sister to eat together. Amina's eyes took notice of the journal and she said...

"What's this book?"

Zafina looked at it and took it in her hands once again...

"Don't worry about it, just some notes I took by studying a building."

"Is that so?" said Amina and watched as her sister made her way to their bedroom...

"Where are you going now?"

Zafina turned to face her and gave her a small smile...

"I need to wear something more comfortable"

Amina nodded, even though she wasn't convinced. She was positive that she went to hide the journal but she didn't know that she only triggered her curiosity by doing that. Suddenly, someone knocked on their door and that woke her up from her thoughts. The young girl stood up and walked to the door of the house. She guessed that it might be someone asking for her sister. She opened the door and found a young man in front of her...

"Faris? What are you doing here?" said Amina with a blush on her cheeks...

The young man smiled at her, something which was really unusual for him and she noticed it. That made her even more uncomfortable in front of him. He had a really sweet smile. Truth was that Amina was always dreaming of becoming this boy's bride but she had kept this as her little secret even from her sister since she always believed that the boy had a crush on Zafina even though she was almost a decade older than him. But did that matter? No of course...That was what Amina thought. Who knows what Zafina was going to think if she ever found out? She would probably laugh it off...

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something." He said...

She waved her hands and said...

"You didn't interrupt anything. So, can we help you with something? I mean Zafina. You probably want to talk with her, right?"

Zafina walked out of the bedroom and saw the two talking to each other. She didn't say anything. She was obvious to her sister's feelings towards the boy. Then, she heard...

"N-No...Actually, I'm here because I wanted to ask you something before someone else does."

"What do you mean? And, anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

The young man stayed silent for a while. Amina noticed his face and said...

"Would you like to come in?"

He shook his head negatively and then looked at her eyes...

"T-Tomorrow...We're having the annual of our village's existence."

"I remember that."

"Umm...Would you like to hang out with me that night?" he asked kindly...

She was happy with that proposal and when she was about to answer positively to his question she remembered that she was going to spend the night celebrating with her sister. She frowned and said...

"I'd be delighted but..."

"She goes with you, Faris." Said Zafina from behind interrupting her...

"Sister..."

Zafina smiled to her little sister and squeezed her shoulder. She, then, looked at the young man in front of her, who bowed to her in respect...

"Zafina...Forgive me for ruining your plans. You're too kind by giving me the chance to hang out with your sister."

"Amina is my sister, not my property. Since she said that she wants to be with you that night, then, there's no problem, right?"

The other two nodded and she said once more...

"Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"Thanks but my brothers are already waiting for me."

The two sisters nodded...

"Then, don't let them wait any more." Said Zafina...

The boy nodded and after bowing to the two, he made his way to his house. Zafina walked to the table and sat on a chair. Amina closed the door and walked to her sister's place sitting opposite her. She watched her sister eating the food she prepared for her and she started doing the same until she stopped to ask her something...

"Zafina?"

The woman looked at her and smiled confusing her sister...

"The food is wonderful. Well done!"

Amina crossed her arms irritated...

"That's not what I wanted to hear."

"So?"

"Why did you say that I wanted to hang out with Faris tomorrow?"

"You didn't want to? Whenever you're talking to him you're sparkling and now you tell me something like that?"

A blush appeared on Amina's cheeks after hearing that from her sister. Zafina smiled at her sister's uneasiness and continued eating her food...

"I never said that I didn't want to go but what are you going to do then?"

"I'll hang out with the others."

"Is the guru between the "others", as well?" she asked her...

"A-Amina...Let's eat our food, shall we?"

"No! Whenever you're with him I know that I'm going to lose you. He's involving you every time. Like there are not other protectors and it must be you."

Zafina touched her sister's hand to calm her down. She understood her perfectly and could sympathize with her. She was feeling the same way whenever their father needed to go on a mission...

"I'm the one, who chose this lifestyle. All I'm doing is to protect you and our villagers. They never forced me to be a protector."

Amina looked away. She knew that her sister was right but she couldn't accept this. She knew that she was acting selfishly. But she always thought that Zafina was her sister, first, and then everyone else's protector...

"I k-know that but...Fine, I'm sorry." She said and looked apologetically at her...

Zafina released her hand and motioned for her sister to start eating. Later in the evening, Zafina left the house and made her way to where the training was taking place. She placed all of her weapons next to her and started cleaning them. She wasn't intending in using them today during her training but she liked to take care of them. That was a natural thing since these weapons belonged to her father. They were like a gift to her from him and she cherished them deeply. After doing that she stood up and started practicing her assassination arts alone. Most of the times she was training along with the other protectors or those, who were still training to become one. Suddenly, she stopped and wiped some sweat from her forehead. This training meant nothing if she had no one to spar with her...

"Zafina?"

She heard her name and turned to see who it was. His voice was familiar...

"Faris? What brings you here?"

The boy approached her and bowed in front of her. She felt a little awkward with that action of his but she knew that she was admired inside the village. Her people's feelings towards her made her want to protect them even more...

"I'm always coming here by this hour to train by myself but since you're here I...am sorry"

Zafina smiled at him and he swallowed hard. His cheeks were red. For him Zafina was someone special, someone he looked up to. Her existence made him want to be a protector. Her graceful movements were making him think that he was dreaming. But of course he knew what all these feelings and thoughts towards her meant. He never had an actual female role model or better a maternal figure. His mother died right after she gave birth to him...

"What are you talking about? You have no reason to be sorry. As you said that's a routine of yours, I just didn't have anything better to do."

She kneeled down and started packing her things until she heard...

"Umm...Zafina...Would I seem audacious if I would ask you to train with me?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. He was the first asking her like that. She stood up leaving her things on the ground and said...

"You wouldn't. I'll be delighted to train with you."

"Really?!" he said with his eyes full of happiness...

She nodded...

"But what if we make things a little more interesting?" she said confusing him...

"What do you mean?"

"Shall we make this training a sparring session? You against me, huh?"

The boy stayed with his mouth open. It was a dream coming true but he didn't know if he was ready...

"You're kidding?! That's a dream coming true!"

Zafina sighed lightly...

"I think you're exaggerating"

"No, no" he said waving his hands... "But what if I hurt you accidentally?"

She made some steps back to take her position and after asking from him to do the same she said...

"You won't! I trust your abilities."

They both took their fighting stances and started their fight. Zafina was obviously being easy on him at first. When he found his pace, she started making more difficult attacks. Some minutes later the fight ended and Zafina said to the boy, who was trying to catch his breath...

"You're a lot better than I thought. Good for you!"

The boy looked at her while he was resting his hands on his knees...

"Please don't tease me."

"I would never do that. I'm positive that in some years you will be a really admirable protector of our village. I'm already one of your fans."

The boy smiled and stood up. He saw as Zafina walked to pack her things and he rushed to her side. He knelt down and helped her with the packing. Zafina caressed his black long hair and thanked him. After taking their things, they left the place and headed back to the village...

The next night, the village was celebrating once again. Amina and Zafina were still inside their house with Amina trying to think of which of her outfits to wear. Even inside an isolated village, the teenagers were still like the ones of the progressive world, at least the majority of them. Finally, she decided on one with Zafina's help and they made their way outside. Amina met up with Faris and Zafina left them alone. She went to eat something and then she had a drink. Little by little she walked away from the crowd to be alone with her thoughts. This night wasn't like the others. She didn't want to think of her problems. Maybe, the drink she had made her think like that. Her cheeks were slightly red because of the drink but she wasn't feeling dizzy or sleepy. She made her way to the hill. She sat down carefully not to ruin the outfit her sister made especially for her and she looked above her to see the sky full of stars. They were giving her a feeling of comfort and relaxation. For a moment she thought of how her life would be if she had chosen a different way of life. Right now she was always putting her life in danger for the good of her people. She was, also, thinking about how she would be feeling if she was in Amina's situation. Tonight her sister was celebrating with the man she loved. She wanted always his attention and tonight she had it. She wondered how her sister was feeling but she was too embarrassed to ask her. After all, she was the older sister. Sometimes she wished to feel like that with the man, who would trigger something inside her heart, as well, but on the other hand what was the point? Her first priority was always her sister and the villagers...

 **Later, the same night...**

Zafina was already resting on her bed but she was having no sleep. But of course she was waiting for Amina to come back as well. For a moment she closed her eyes and lost control over her body and mind. She was having another vision...

 _Zafina was walking on a white corridor. She was hearing invisible birds chirping and water falling from the waterfall and then she noticed another cascades around her. The water falling sure was peaceful. Before she noticed, the birds became visible and started flying deeper into the white corridor. She followed them and soon after her body bumped onto another man's. She fell on the ground and tried to stand up but before doing so, she noticed the man, who extended his hand for her to stand up. She took his hand and he helped her up. She tried to look for his face but only his body was visible, however she could sense the warmth coming from his hand. It was really a beautiful sensation. She felt her heart raising its beats. Was it because of this man?_

" _Will you come with me?" she heard his voice..._

 _His voice was familiar to her ears. She released her hand from his grip and she asked him suspiciously._

" _Who are you?"_

" _Follow me and you'll find out."_

 _She made some steps back. Yes, his voice was truly familiar..._

" _W-Where?"_

 _The man walked closer to her place and placed his arms around her. She only stayed there. She didn't hug him back but she didn't release herself from his embrace either. The only thing she was feeling was her teardrops, which were falling on the floor. She wasn't sad. These were tears of happiness but why?_

" _Why don't you tell me your name? Who are you?" she asked being still in his embrace..._

 _The man released her and touched her shoulders..._

" _My name is not important but you are the one, who must let me say it to you...Zafina"_

She opened her eyes widely and stood up from the bed. Amina was watching her surprised. It was the first time she was seeing her sister having a vision. She knew that it was a vision because even though she was mumbling words she couldn't wake her up, so it wasn't a dream. She walked closer to her sister and placed her hands on her shoulders. Zafina looked at her sister's hands and then at her eyes, which were looking at her own. She relaxed seeing her sister's brown eyes and sat once again on the bed. She sighed. Except from the vision, she had to give explanations to Amina as well, since she knew that her sister wasn't going to let it pass. Amina sat beside her and asked her...

"What was all this about?"

"I was afraid you would ask."

She crossed her arms irritated and said...

"Why being afraid? We are sisters. You must count on me as well. I can't be the only one, who's taking advantage of your kindness."

Zafina smiled and hugged her sister...

"What are you saying? You're my little sister. I love you and that's why I'd do everything for you."

"Same goes for me, then. I want you to depend on me as well. So, for a first, tell me what kind of vision you had this time."

"Fine, I'll tell you."

"Good."

"But first, you'll have to tell me how your night with Faris was." She said again...

A blush appeared on Amina's cheeks and she smiled...

"What's that smile for?"

"Zafina...you know, I don't want you to be mad."

"Why would I be mad about?" asked Zafina confused...

"Faris asked me in marriage." She said suddenly...

Zafina's eyes widened. That was indeed sudden and unexpected at least for now. She looked at her sister and heard her saying...

"I hope you're not angry."

She smiled and said...

"What was your answer?" she already knew but she let her say it anyway...

"I-I...said yes! Zafina, you know I liked him since I can remember and..."

Zafina giggled and hugged her sister once again...

"I'm truly happy for you. Faris is a really reliable man. He will make you happy."

Amina hugged her sister back and said...

"Thank you."

She released her and said...

"So, when is the marriage taking place?"

"Hey, we're still very young. For now we're going to get engaged."

She nodded and heard her sister saying again taking her serious facial expression...

"Now on your subject...What did you see in that vision of yours?"

Zafina sat on the bed and Amina sat beside her...

"To be honest with you, Amina...It was from the visions, which made my heart raise its beats really fast."

"You saw your true love in that vision, sister? How was he like?"

"I couldn't see his face and who told you that it was my true love...What a joke?" said Zafina disappointing her sister...

"What a letdown!?...Well, at least you saw something interesting, at last."

Zafina smiled ironically and said...

"You think so?"

Amina started to change her clothes and wore her night gown. Zafina rested her body again on the bed and Amina lied down on the bed next to her sister. She kissed her cheek and said with a smile...

"Zafina, I have a feeling that you're going to meet that man from your vision really soon."

"Since you're having that feeling I can't doubt you."

"Will you stop joking with me?" she said irritated...

For a moment they stayed silent but Amina said once again before closing her eyes...

"Sister, I know that I won't take an answer...but I need to tell you something."

Zafina just looked at her sister, who was looking at her completely serious...

"If that man arrives into your life, I don't wish for you to run away. You have to experience this feeling if it ever comes or else you'll regret it."

After that Amina closed her eyes leaving Zafina thinking of her words. She appreciated her sister's thoughts towards her but she couldn't be in her position to know what she was going through all day. And even if, she allowed herself to experience what her sister wished for her, it surely wouldn't be like Amina had it pictured inside her mind...From every point of view, the sisters were experiencing different kind of lifestyles...

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **Osaka...**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Second Military Base...**

"You're trying to piss me off, aren't you?!" said the man looking angrily at the shorter, younger girl in front of him...

"HUH?! You're the one doing that! Didn't I tell you from the very beginning that this is too high for me? I need more time to climb this." said the girl back crossing her arms defensively...

A desperate sigh escaped the man's lips and that new expression of his irritated the young woman. They looked at each other for a few moments and before the girl was ready to say something to him, she was interrupted by a blonde tall girl...

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk…So disappointing…We have already finished with training and our poor Captain is here trying to help you with you talking back at him. Such manners you have there, Miss Kazama."

The shorter girl slowly turned her head to face the other one and shot her a murderous glare. That "blonde witch" as she was calling her, once in a while, had been a pain in her ass from the moment she stepped her foot inside the base with Lars Alexandersson, while she was hugging his arm. They came the next day after Hwoarang did. How come they allowed an airhead like her to enter the army? However, same thoughts were coming from the taller girl, who sneered at her rival's irritated face. All she was thinking, when she first saw her was that Japanese people had seriously lost it after the previous war. How come they allowed that "eyesore", as this one referred to her, to step inside here? Lars Alexandersson, as it seemed, needed a lot of people, because that was the only way she could explain the girl's appearance as a soldier.

"You have a death wish, aren't you? Fine then!" she said as she pointed her finger at her…

"I accept the challenge!" she pointed back at her…

"Alright! Bring it on!"

…

"Oh no, you won't." said the man grabbing with his hands each one's wrist…

The two gritted their teeth in pain. He was grabbing them so damned tightly. He looked first at the short girl on his right and then at the tall one on his left. He lowered their arms and released them…

"Rochefort, why are you here?"

Lili Rochefort looked at the ground and brought her hands together in an innocent way… "Umm…I…I was worried about her, so I came to see how she was doing and maybe help her."

Asuka Kazama, the brunette one, hugged herself tightly because of the disgusting thing she just heard… _I'm getting shivers…_ She thought…That blonde idiot sure had it easy with the small talk…

"You're not yourself the best, you know. And as I remember, I asked you to clean the men's toilets. Did you do it?"

Her eyes were filled with tears. They were genuine, since she couldn't ever imagine doing such a thing. And especially the men's bathroom…So unladylike. The last human being, who could do this, would be everyone but a graceful and delicate girl like Lili Rochefort. In her case, there was only a person, she could picture doing that kind of stuff and she was standing right opposite her…

"Please, Sir! You can't possibly ask from a delicate girl like me to do such a disgusting, inappropriate thing." She said pleading him…

"And why not?" He asked and crossed his arms…

"Umm…well…Would you accept it, if I say that I'm way to pretty for that job?"

As Asuka Kazama heard that, was ready to go and pull her hair from her head. She was so full of herself! Didn't she already realize that she's not in her fairy castle? Hwoarang raised an eyebrow, since he didn't know how to react. Laugh at her joke or shout at her for her disobedience… "Come again?" he asked in the end…

"Don't you think, I'm right? A commoner like Miss Kazama would be ideal for that job."

When the slightly older girl heard her insult, she tightened her grips and glared at her murderously…

"Huh?! How dare you?" said Asuka as she was ready to attack her. In the end, however, Hwoarang stopped her by placing his arm in front of her…

He sighed…

That girl was surely full of herself. Yeah, she was pretty and, she was right…The last person, he could imagine doing that would be her but he was thinking the same thing for Asuka Kazama, as well. She didn't have anything less than Lili did…In his mind, however, well…Asuka was way more well-endowed than Lili but the first didn't have the kind of charm the second one did…They were so different…and so the same, when it came to make his life miserable…

"Before I lose seriously my patience…Go back. Take a mob, a bucket and some chlorine and off to the toilets you go."

She placed her hands together and said… "Come on! I'll do anything else you want."

Hwoarang placed a finger under his chin… "Is that so?" he asked with a smile…

Lili smiled back at him and nodded…

"I see…Ok, I agree!"

"Oh thank you so much!" said Lili as she was jumping up and down.

Asuka bit her upper lip irritated. She wanted to start shouting. She was satisfied with the fact that Hwoarang wasn't going along with her rival's whims, until he fell now as well…

"Even you?!" she said and looked at him. Hwoarang didn't return the look but said to Lili… "It's ok…Have a mop, a bucket with some chlorine inside and go clean the men's toilets."

Her blonde girl's shoulders fell and she looked at the ground. She gritted her teeth as she heard her rival laughing at her. Hwoarang approached her and put his hand on her shoulder… "Cheer up! You're not the first or the last. Tomorrow is Kazama's turn."

"It's not!"

"And how do you know?" said Lili as she glared at her…

"I checked the list that's how I know."

Grr…Hwoarang rolled his eyes as he noticed the two girls barking at each other. He looked at the blue sky and sighed… _Oh God…What did I do in my past life and I'm being punished like that?_

…

For a while now, the older man was trying to reason with them. What was wrong with him? All his other soldiers were obeying him like their lives depended on him. On the other hand…these two…

"Hey, where are you spacing at? We're being here asking you for a while." Said Asuka taking his attention…

Lili crossed her arms and agreed… "Indeed…Is there something troubling your mind? I'm willing to help."

"Like you could, stupid!"

"Says who? A shorty, who can't even climb a wall."

Asuka bit her upper lip and didn't say anything in return. She knew that she was short, she didn't need that blockhead to point it out. "For your information there are a lot of things a short person can do and a tall one can't."

Lili placed a hand on her mouth and giggled… "Oh sure, I've seen short people in the circus. There're so much fun!"

"W-Why…y-you…"

…

"Commander!" said a young man saluting in front of him as he arrived at their place...

The man took his gaze of the girls and turned to face the man. He wrapped his semi long auburn hair in a low pony tail and said...

"What is it? Did you finish with the chores I asked you to do?"

The black haired man nodded...

"Good but you didn't need to come till here to tell me."

"I'm not here for that, sir."

"So?"

"They gave me orders to tell you that Mr. Lars Alexandersson wished for you to call him."

"Is that it?" he said taking off his black and red gloves...

The two women next to him looked at each other, surprised with how unconcerned he was. Especially, Asuka Kazama...

The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu wanted to talk with him, probably for something important…who would like to have a normal chat with this kind of guy anyway… and he was there wrapping his hair and taking off his gloves. In a small part inside her head she found him pitiful. She noticed that he was a little out of reality and most of the time out of topic from the first time she met him...

 _ **Osaka...**_

 _ **Three months ago...**_

 _ **Mishima Zaibatsu Second Military Base...**_

 _From the time the Second Military Base was rebuilt a lot of men and women were applying to be recruited in the army of the Mishima Zaibatsu. After a very simple examination of their abilities and how much able they were to keep up with the practice, those who did it they were accepted. These two last years they were practicing at a slow pace but that was till Lars Alexandersson took the lead of the Zaibatsu. That made them happy but in the same time worried. For this man to come back, things weren't good...Could it be a new war? But it was impossible for the ex Tekken Force Officer to do something like that. Then, was it G-Corporation? Their thoughts were confirmed when Lars Alexandersson himself told them that Kazuya Mishima, his brother, was having a war against him..._

 _These news weren't liked by the recruits...except from a certain "lady", who believed that it was time for her already to start focusing on her goal. She was also thinking of the other soldiers, who found the idea of a war really bad for themselves and their families. Well, of course, but aren't you here for that reason? To protect your family from any upcoming threats? She nodded to herself when she thought of that..._

 _However, everything completely changed when they heard that they will be having a new commander to train them even harder, just yesterday. That was because Lars was going to use them as well. Her happiness, when she first heard that...well not exactly happiness...someone could say better excitement couldn't be described in words. The time for revenge was here. She wouldn't have to wait anymore and all that thanks to Lars. Inside her mind, she owed him a lot and even though she wasn't like some of the women there, who entered because they wanted just to get close to him, she was feeling very honored that she was going to fight alongside him..._

 _Anyway, this kind of excitement disappeared when she first met the new commander..._

 _The day when he was supposed to come, all the soldiers were standing in the right order waiting for Tougou to arrive with him. The girls were at first enthusiastic over the fact that Lars Alexandersson might come but their hopes were shuttered really soon. However, Tougou wasn't a bad sight himself..._

 _Thirty minutes after they were already in order, the recruits watched an amount of Yggdrasil's soldiers accompanying Tougou, who was having alongside him a young man, same height as him with auburn hair...For a moment she felt disappointed. She hoped that all of a sudden she would see a woman standing next to the black haired man but no...It had to be a man...The disappointment she felt was unique since she really wanted for a woman to come and take action here. That way women would show how much more capable they are from men. And imagined that woman being her, huh? Awesome…Bossing around millions excuses of men…That would be a dream coming true. In the end, she decided to come back to reality and focused her attention back to the man again. However, even from this distance, where she was standing, she could tell that she had seen him somewhere. Being lost in her thoughts about this man in front of her she wasn't paying any attention to what Tougou was telling them. By the way, he had also said the new commander's name but she didn't hear him. She "woke up" when she noticed the soldiers next to her saluting and not having a clue she did the same..._

 _After that, Tougou dismissed them and alongside Hwoarang left the place to enter the main office. The soldiers relaxed themselves and started chattering..._

" _I'm wondering what kind of practice he's going to put us through." said the man in front of her..._

" _Me too...Isn't he too young for that kind of practice? It needs a lot of experience." said another making her look at him..._

 _The man nodded and suddenly she said..._

" _Hey?!"_

 _Both of them looked at her..._

" _Did he say his name? I mean, you know..."_

" _Weren't you listening? And then you say that you're serious about being here."_

" _He's right! You're the worst. If you were like the others, who were here just for being close to Lars Alexandersson then we would let it go and of course tell you his name."_

 _She clenched her fists and tried to manage her anger. How dare they compare her to those stupid girls? She was way different from all of them inside. Both men and women. There was no one inside there, who could understand her._

" _Hey, Kazama? We're talking."_

 _She glared at them and said before walking away..._

" _W-Whatever...I'm gonna find out by myself."_

 _She walked to the building she saw them entering and hid. She was sure that if they would see her, they would ask her why was she here and then, of course, she would have to tell them that she didn't know her commander's name and came to find out. She looked at her left and right. She hoped that she would find him soon and of course not to fall upon Tougou or any of her seniors. She made a step forward but before she was ready to walk straight a hand caught her shoulder startling her..._

 _Oh shit...She thought..._

 _She turned her head to see a taller man standing above her. And, yes, he was well built with long red hair. After staring him upside down she was thinking how they allowed him to enter the army with long hair and didn't ask from him to cut it..._

" _Did you finish staring at me?"_

 _The girl swallowed hard and nodded..._

" _Good...I see you're wearing a uniform. What's your name?"_

 _Asuka remembered to salute and after that she said..._

" _K-Kazama, sir!" his eyes widened at the mention of her name... "Kazama Asuka"_

 _Hwoarang tried not to seem surprised. He crossed his arms and said..._

" _I see now...That's why you seem familiar."_

" _You mean?"_

" _In the Iron Fist Tournament...We fought together, didn't we?"_

 _She tried to remember him further. So, it wasn't just her. He knew her as well..._

" _It was in the fifth tournament...I was the one using taekwondo."_

 _She nodded. Finally, she remembered him and her loss because of him..._

" _Oh yes, you're that guy with those beautiful long legs."_

 _Hwoarang found the way she described him kind of awkward. Maybe, it was because she was the only one, who ever said that to him. The guy with the beautiful long legs. It sounded acceptable, even though using the word "beautiful" to describe any part of a man's body seemed kinda off to him. He smiled at her and nodded..._

" _Yup! And you're that girl with the awesome, strong body and of course those wonderful..." he stopped for a moment and she raised an eyebrow..._

" _H-Huh?"_

" _Eyes...I mean your eyes. They were shining."_

 _She blushed feverishly and he smiled at the honesty of her face. She touched her face, noticing the heat, and tried to hide it by looking at the floor..._

" _Well..." she tried to say something to him but she was interrupted by a male voice..._

" _Hwoarang! What are you doing here and with that soldier?"_

 _Asuka saluted in front of him and he dismissed her quickly..._

" _I wanted to take a look around here and I found her strolling around, so I asked her to join me." he said placing his arm around her shoulder..._

 _Tougou sighed..._

" _Please, let the soldier return to her duties. I told you that I have already called some soldiers to help you."_

 _He looked at her and said..._

" _Honestly now, as a man, who would you prefer to join you somewhere? Two of your men or a pretty girl as this one?"_

" _It depends on the situation. Now, please, Miss, return to your duties."_

 _Hwoarang released her and she bowed to the two men before leaving..._

 _So, that was his name...She thought and walked outside the main office..._

 _Both Hwoarang and Tougou watched as the girl disappeared from their sight..._

" _So? Where you trying to pick her up or what?"_

" _Not really...She was an old acquaintance."_

 _Tougou nodded and said..._

" _Whatever...I need to go back to Tokyo. Here's the key of the office. You're the only one who has it. Whatever you need, you can find it there, ok?"_

 _He nodded..._

" _And anyway, my soldiers will help you...or this acquaintance of yours...See you!" he said and walked outside..._

 _Hwoarang stayed back there and thought of the girl he was with before. Of course, he remembered that girl, even though he wasn't sure she was her and that was why he asked her name. He had spotted her from the very beginning of the fifth tournament since he was surprised when he had to fight another Kazama person that her whole appearance had been inside his head since then. But why was a girl like her here? That made him somehow curious..._

 **Present day...**

"Yes, sir!" said the soldier...

"You're dismissed" said Hwoarang and motioned for him to walk away...

He turned to the place where the girls were standing and saw their irritated face expression...

"What's that face for? You better drop it since you have no right to even say a word. And now, you Kazama...Try this again." he said showing her the wall she was trying to climb all this time...

She looked first at the wall and then at him...

"Later with that...How can you seem so relaxed when Lars Alexandersson himself wants to talk with you?!"

"I have to agree with this idiotic woman this time. Master Lars is our leader!"

Asuka rolled her eyes when she first heard that… _"M-Master Lars?"_

"What's with that?! Are you his fan girls as well?"

They shook negatively their heads...

"Don't get us into the same boat as them! We have important reasons." Said Asuka, who didn't realize that she supported her rival as well.

"I see..."

"See what?! You're avoiding the main subject! How can..."

"The main subject, girls, is the fact that you need to keep up with the others. Do that or else you'll be in trouble and of course not one of my recruits."

Asuka saw how serious his face turned. The training was always hard with him but he had never showed that kind of expression. Did they really annoy him?

"I..."

Hwoarang turned to leave but before that he said...

"Stop meddling in other people's businesses, you two...And continue your practice, I'll come to check on you." He said and Asuka nodded. He then turned to face Lili… "Rochefort?!"

"Y-Yes?" said Lili confused, as well, with the change in his expression…

"Come with me."

Lili nodded and after giving her rival a last glance she followed him…

With these last words of his they left her behind dumbfounded. That was truly unexpected and especially the fact that there was a possibility for her to not be recruited. Being afraid if that was to happen, she decided to keep her mouth shut and do as asked. After all, he was her senior...Even by a small number of years, she wasn't sure how many it was but still...She had to show respect...

She punched her left open hand with her right fist and took a determent face expression…

"Ok wall! I don't like you and you don't like me but we need to do this…w-well…for my sake! Got it?!"

…

Lili couldn't keep up with Hwoarang's walking. Maybe, she didn't want to, on the other hand. He was so scary back there. Suddenly, he stopped and turned his head to face her. She bit her lips and stood still…

"What's your problem with Kazama?" he asked and crossed his arms…

The young girl rolled her eyes in the inside. She was nervous like hell and all that for this question? She brought her gaze to meet his eyes and smiled… "Problem, you say? None…I don't think having a rival is considered a problem, if you ask me. You want a problem? I'll give you one. She won't be able to climb that wall for all eternity."

Hwoarang smiled as he looked at the ground for her to not see him. That girl had a point, he thought. He looked at her and said…

"Whatever…For now, don't bother her. You need, I mean both of you, to maintain a professional behavior…once in a while. Especially in front of others. Go back to your duties, ok?"

"When you say d-duties, you mean the toilets?"

Hwoarang rolled his eyes and shook his head… "No…Forget the toilets and not to mention that with your upbringing, I believe that you'll mess up. On the other hand, I could let you clean my office. Yeah! When I'm finished with the phone call I'll call for you, ok? Be somewhere near. "

Lili nodded and he dismissed her. She watched him as he was walking away. Both Asuka and her had a very weird feeling whenever they were near him. For an unknown reason she found that feeling reassuring but she still couldn't describe it. She couldn't realize it, yet but if someone was to ask her, who would she rely on between Hwoarang and Lars Alexandersson, she would say the first one…Did Asuka Kazama felt the same way? Lili noticed that she depended very much on him…But why?

…

Hwoarang entered the main office and proceeded to call Lars back. He felt sad and a little guilty about the girl he left behind with the wall and how he talked to her but that was for a short time. He knew that he was right about what he told her. He placed the phone on his ear and waited for the man to answer...

They talked on the phone for some minutes until he dropped the call. He relaxed himself on the couch inside the office and thought about what Lars told him. So, he had to send some of the soldiers to the main base and he had to do it very soon.

He stayed in that position for about an hour since he didn't realize that he was sleeping this whole time. He rubbed his eyes and checked the time looking at the clock on the wall opposite him. Noticing that it was time again for practice he stood up and wore his gloves. He walked outside and asked from the soldier, who was guarding the office to inform the other soldiers about the practice's place and hour. Then, he remembered leaving a girl behind. He doubted, however, that she would be still there practicing especially after the way he talked to her...

…

Asuka Kazama was still "fighting" with that tall grey wall. She would manage to climb half of it and a little more but close to the end both her legs and arms would give her up and she would fall on the ground...

"Ugh...Damn it!" she said after the fall...

She was touching with her hands the ground trying to support herself. She looked up and due to her exhaustion the wall seemed taller. She tried to catch her breath and that time she heard some male voices...

"Why don't you give up already?" she heard one of them...

Asuka just glared at them and tried to stand up...

"He's right! A girl's place is outside the battlefield waiting for her man to come back." He said mockingly…

" _I'll puke_...You're all...disgusting" she stood up and stretched her back...

"How dare you calling us that?!" said the first one...

"You heard me...I think."

The man started to walk at her place angrily, with her just staring at him...

"You bitch!"

That time he threw a punch at her, which, of course, managed to dodge. She grabbed his fist with her hand and kicked him with her knee at his stomach. He screamed in pain and fell on the ground. He looked at her and then heard the man, who was accompanying him laughing. The entire base was going to learn that he was hit by a woman...

"I guess you're not from Osaka since you don't know my name."

The man who was laughing stopped for a while and looked surprised at her...

"Don't tell me you're Asuka Kazama?!"

"Yup! That's me. The one and only!"

The man approached her and extended his hand for a handshake...

"Let me apologize and I'm glad to meet you."

Asuka took his hand and nodded. The man released her and looked at his companion on the ground...

"You have no chance against her, man."

The man looked at him and smirked confusing the other two. He stood up and attacked her once again. The girl started dodging his punches and kicks, something which was pretty easy for her. She started getting him tired but she was running out of patience and finally she gave him a final kick sending him away. She watched him as he landed on the ground and placed her arms on her hips...

"That'll teach you a lesson! Don't mess with me again, ok? Or else you'll regret it."

The girl gathered her things and when she was about to walk away she suddenly stopped, when she heard a gunshot. She dropped her things and turned to see what was happening behind her. An auburn haired man was standing right in front of her holding his gun in the air wearing a not so normal face expression. Even though she was some meters away she could see the small vein popping out from his right temple. She never saw him wearing that expression…Was it that they weren't already practicing? That could be, since she knew that it was the time for their afternoon practice or as she called it another visit to despair. She had already said that his exercise plan was without exaggerating a long painful way to the depths of Hell. It wasn't like she wasn't used to hard practice but that guy never let them go until he was satisfied with everyone. Once as she remembered they were practicing for five hours nonstop. Of course after that they didn't even were in the mood for dinner. They went straight to bed. She pitied the guys, who had to guard the gates that night.

Anyway, it was either that or he didn't enjoy his conversation with Lars Alexandersson. She really wanted to know what they talked about. Could it be that the day arrived? Was it time for her father to be avenged? She had to know. Well, asking him would be pointless, since he was probably going to make fun of her. Other way would be to try to…seduce him…What?! Seduce him? Myself?! She thought…Yeah, yeah…Asuka Kazama was known of her self-sarcasm. Whatever…Why think of things she wasn't even going to try?

Her mind brought her back to reality once again. Good thing her auto-pilot system never betrayed her. She looked behind her at the guys, who were already saluting him and panicking did the same…

He lowered his gun and looked at the girl in front of him. He didn't see her when the other soldiers gathered in the place, where they were having their afternoon practice. Could it be that she passed out trying to climb the wall? He smiled at her determination…Or that she gave up and went back to the dormitories? His smile turned into a frown full of anger...

He asked from one of his underlings to start the practice without him and with that he made his way to the place he left her before, hoping she would be there or she was going to be dead by his hands.

Soon after, he arrived there but stopped some meters away still being not able to be seen. He watched her beating one of the soldiers. He sighed…Did that guy had a death wish? He was sure that he tried to provoke her. However, she gave him one of a show. Maybe, he was going to follow another method with her…He had to think how however…

He saw the guy falling on the ground after the beat up she gave him. Why was she wasting her strength on that guy? One of her punches would be enough. Anyway, he took out his gun and approached them. The other two were trembling at his sight but the girl was knelt at the ground packing her things having her back facing him. Noticing that he wasn't seen by her he raised his gun and without thinking much of it he shoot the sky. That time he made sure that she, at least, realized another presence at the place if not him.

He didn't notice that he was wearing an angry face expression, however, the girl, who he was trying to get her attention, noticed it and saw her uneasiness…

He looked at the two behind her and said…

"You two."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison…

"Go to practice in an instant and if I see you again walking around aimlessly and especially when you know that you have duties…You're dead!"

They swallowed hard…

"Understood?"

They nodded…

"Good…Now leave from my sight."

"YES, SIR!" they bowed and left running…

Asuka was laughing silently, while watching them "pissing their pants". Hwoarang turned to her and rolled his eyes at her…

"You stupid, why are you laughing by yourself?"

She stopped at his question, which by the way pissed her off and looked at him. The scary expression from before disappeared and the cocky captain she in the same time admired and despised came back. For a moment, she preferred the scary one. Well, no but you got what she meant by that. She saw him as he raised his eyebrow…

"So? What was so funny?"

"Commander, please forgive me. I shouldn't have done that. You were talking to your soldiers…I mean your other soldiers and I shouldn't have make fun of the situation. My deepest apologies."

He sighed…

"Are you trying to be funny or what?"

"Me?!" she said widening her deep brown eyes… "I was completely h-honest?"

"You're asking me?"

…There was a moment of silence…

"HAHAHAHA" she started laughing loudly…

And there she goes. At least she let it out. She was holding her stomach and he was watching her with crossed arms…

Finally, she stopped and looked at him. She fixed her hair and tried to adopt a serious expression. Something very difficult for her…

"Are you done? I mean, can we finally talk seriously?"

She thought about it for a second and in the end she nodded positively…

"Good…You're dismissed from today's practice and…"

"WHAT?!"

"What's with that?"

"What did I do? They were picking on me and I'm the one being punished?" she said with an irritated expression…

He looked around him for a moment and then he approached her. She looked suspiciously at him and made two small steps back…

"Will you show me a little respect? At least for a moment."

She raised an eyebrow and said…

"For what reason?"

"I believe I should punish you in the end. You're so…so…"

"You mean that you weren't going to, you know…?"

He shook negatively his head and said…

"Go rest…I mean, you know eat, have a shower, anyway, whatever you want and when everyone sleeps come to my room."

"HUH?!"

"What is it? And why are you having this face?"

" _Why he says…What's with him? Was he looking at me like that all the time?_ What for?"

He saw her flustered face and smiled in the inside. Her suspiciousness was a very cute attribute of hers…

"Hey, that flustered face you're having there is quite something…Are you hitting on me?"

"Why you…That's my line! A guy like you…Well, every guy has this in his mind. Of course you're no exception!"

Hwoarang smiled trying to hide his irritation. How dare she compare him to other men? He started walking further at her place with her stepping back until her back hit the wall and he placed both his hands on the wall, while standing in front of her destroying every possibility of escape. Her helpless expression was a sight he would always keep in his mind. No woman had ever looked at him like that and that because these women enjoyed his flirting. That girl in front of him was either inexperienced or didn't find him attractive. That last one would be unforgivable if it was true…

"Then, I guess…I shouldn't destroy this…umm…opinion of yours, on that matter and make you mine. What do you say?"

She looked intensely inside his, just like hers, deep brown eyes and witnessed the flame they were emitting. Such strong gaze, she thought. She shook her head and said…

"Like hell! Just because I didn't have the chance that doesn't mean I'm inexperienced."

"You mean?" he said as he released her…

"I mean that when the time of me wanting to give myself to my special someone comes, I won't just be lying there. I'll be in action."

"Is that so?"

"It sure is. When I do that, it will be when I'm in love with that guy. Isn't it fair from my side to show my feelings as well?" she said with a happy face expression…

Hwoarang dropped his arms at his side. What she said…Unknowingly created something inside him. What was this? He was ready to start walking but she stopped him with her voice. However, he didn't turn to see her…

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"Ask this to your future special someone." He said and started walking away…

"Hey?!"

"What is it?" she stopped him once again…

"Must I really come to your room?"

This time he turned to face her…

"Yeah…I need to talk with you and take Rochefort with you."

"I see. _Why does this giraffe have to come?_ We'll be there."

He nodded and this time he really left…

 **Six hours later…**

Asuka and Lili walked outside the female dormitories. They looked around them to make sure no one was seeing them and left the building. Good thing Hwoarang's room wasn't inside the men's dormitories. It was a normal looking, someone could say, house a little away from the dormitories. Wall by wall, they made it there and after breathing out Lili, after Asuka's request or maybe demand, knocked on the door. Inside there, Hwoarang was for an unknown reason once again disturbed with that feeling inside of him. It became worse when he heard the knock on his door. He set the beer, he held in his hand on a counter and walked to open the door. When he did, he saw their faces, which were showing the question like "so, why did you ask us to come for?" and realized the same thing. He completely forgot what he wanted to tell them. Shit…

"Well, are we going to be standing here all night or what?" asked Lili…

"Umm…sorry…I, you know, whatever come in."

They walked inside being confused with him and how off he looked. Did anything happen? Well, maybe, that's why he called them here. He closed the door and he, also, made sure that Asuka and Lili weren't been seen. He turned to ask them to take a seat but he saw them as they already fighting over, who was going to sit on his couch. Indeed, these girls were a nightmare but why didn't he find them annoying? He sighed and nodded to himself…

"What are you doing?" Asuka said confused…

He walked to take his beer from the counter and then he went and sat on his bed. He sipped some and he heard her again…

"Hey? Are you listening to me?"

"I hear ya."

She gritted her teeth as she saw him being completely relaxed while lying on his bed with his cold beer or what this was in his hand. She crossed angrily her arms and even without looking he noticed her negative vibes.

"You can open the fridge and have something to drink if you want."

"I'll pass. Just tell me what you want, sir." She said mockingly…

"Umm…Is there a possibility to have a soda? The shrimps were terrible." Lili was heard from the couch, since she was the one, who won their little argument…

"Huh?! They were unexpectedly good. You're the one with the weak stomach!"

He threw the empty can of his drink inside the bin and glanced at them. He didn't know if he would do the right thing by what he was going to tell them or regret it afterwards. Especially to Asuka, since he asked her to bring Lili as a backup.

"Asuka?" he murmured…

She was taken aback when she heard the guy calling her by her first name. Either he was going to call her "Kazama" or nothing, meaning that "hey, you".

"What are you on?"

"Huh?" he said raising an eyebrow…

"Don't play it all innocent! How come you call me by my name? Are we friends? And even if we were, we're in the army and you're my senior."

"So, you finally realized it?" said Lili as she sighed to her rival's annoyance…

He rolled his eyes something that irritated her. He stood up and opened the fridge. He found the soda Lili wished for and gave it to her…

"A senior you hold such respect for, eh?" he said turning to face Asuka…

"Of course I respect you!"

"Since when?" asked Lili as she opened the can…

"I will punch you, Rochefort!"

"Is that so?" said Hwoarang interrupting her…

She nodded…After that he gave her a smile…She saw him doing that and she let her guard down without realizing it. The same happened with Lili, who found this smile unexpectedly charming…

"I know that you do…deep down. Anyway, I want to ask you something…"

"Finally…What is it?"

"What do you two want to accomplish by being here?" …

Both of them didn't expect that question, especially Asuka Kazama…Well, truth was that she didn't know what she was expecting. But why for him to ask her this and that thing with her name, he didn't tell her in the end? She looked at him and came face to face with his serious side…

"You ask that…Why?"

"Please, tell me the reason." He said pleading her…

She sighed…

"It's something very important to me, you see. I MUST avenge my father. That jerk's father, I mean, Kazuya Mishima, killed my father."

"You mean especially your father? Why would he bother with just one person? Except if he had unfinished business with him."

"Of course not! That evil man sent his troops to explode Osaka's airport."

"The airport?!"

She nodded…

"Yeah…My father was coming back from a trip and he was killed inside the airport with a million other people."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up…really…"

"It's fine…I can't turn the time back to not tell him to go there or you know tell him to use the bus. I mean, that when it comes to this we must just move on."

Hwoarang looked at her teary eyes and decided to change the subject…

"But I'm sorry "fate", I'm not just going to stand there doing nothing. This man will die. Either from my hands or another's."

He was feeling exactly the same way…

"I understand."

"Understand? You?"

He nodded…

"Why not? You think I was here because of Alexandersson's payment?"

"Well duh…He's quite generous… _And so handsome_ " she said as a matter of fact while drooling in the inside…

For a moment he felt somehow angry…

"Sorry to disappoint you then…The payment is the last thing I'm doing it for."

There was a moment of silence, until Hwoarang said… "What about you, Lili?"

Asuka turned to see her and Hwoarang did the same. As they started talking some minutes ago, Lili had found their conversation completely boring, since the subject was serious and she couldn't mess with her as she wanted. For that reason she decided to rest for a minute her eyes but she didn't realize when she fell into sleep…

The other two looked at each other and Hwoarang felt bad for Lili, since he dismissed her from practice as well to have her clean his whole office by herself. And the worst of it…She just made a bigger mess…He stood up and approached her. Asuka saw him as he took her in his arms, something that she was never going to admit, was that she felt somehow jealous of her. The man, with Lili in his arms, made his way to his bed and set her carefully, as to not wake her up, on it. After doing that he turned back and saw Asuka looking at him with an expression he couldn't understand. He walked there and touched her shoulder…

"Can you take off her shoes and, anyway, make something as for her to sleep comfortably?"

"Huh?" she crossed her arms irritated. What was she? The princess' nanny?! She rolled her eyes and muttered a "whatever". She walked to her side, took off her boots and relaxed her uniform's belt. Before she left, she unzipped her jacket to reveal a black tank top. She sighed in relief. Good thing she was wearing something underneath. She stood up and gave her a last glance. After making sure that she was ok, she walked back inside. She looked at Hwoarang and nodded. She had to ask as well…

She walked in front of him and he said… "Everything's ok?"

"Don't worry, her highness will sleep tight." She said and rolled her eyes…

"You jealous? I can let you sleep in my embrace. I'll sing a lullaby for you as well." He said as he opened his arms for her. Somewhere in the back of his head, he wasn't joking…

Asuka snapped his hands away and said… "Then? It's your turn now…Hwoarang."

He faced her deep in her eyes as she called his name. True, it was her turn now to approach him…

"What did that man do to you?"

He swallowed hard and lowered his gaze on the white floor…

"Two years ago, when Jin caused that war, I created a small rebel army against him and Kazuya. As you see, because of that I lost someone really important to me. It was my entire fault since that army it was my idea. I was the leader of the "Resistance"."

Asuka nodded. Yeah, she had heard of them. Well, she didn't hear the most complementing comments. A lot of people found it ridiculous. Things like: That small rebel army, there's no way they will manage to do anything against the Mishima Zaibatsu and others among these. However, she preferred to stay silent and not say a word. Shaking her head was enough, right? He saw her as she nodded positively and continued…

"I shouldn't have created that stupid thing from the beginning. Now, he would be still here…"

Who was he talking about, thought Asuka? Could it be that he had a brother?

"Can I ask about who you're talking about?"

He scratched the back of his head…

"Oh yeah…this man was both my master and my father figure. The only person I had close to me."

"Sorry to hear that…But now I get it when you say that you understand…I guess that we understand each other."

Hwoarang nodded and smiled at her. However, there was a difference between them but he didn't mention it to her. Her father died and she couldn't do anything but Baek died because of his student's stubbornness and hatred towards both Jin and Kazuya. If he had listened to Baek back then, things would have been different.

"See? I told you so."

That time she didn't say anything. She noticed the sorrowful expression he was trying very hard to hide. Silently, she stood up and approached him. Unconsciously, she knelt beside him and cupped with her hands his hand, which was resting on his thigh and he looked at her saying nothing. He saw her face expression. It was full of understanding and compassion. If it was someone, who wasn't in the situation the two of them was, Hwoarang would say that the person felt pity towards him but with her it was different. He knew that she didn't want to feel pitied as well but if he was to comfort her, she would accept it. Just, as he was doing right now with her.

He touched with his other hand her own, which was caressing his other one and squeezed it gently. The two smiled at each other. He knew that this action was a bad omen but he couldn't dissuade it. Was it that he indeed couldn't? Or that he didn't want to? He was confused but for now he was going to let that young woman comfort him with her warm hands…

…

A young girl after letting a last silent yawn and wondering how come she fell asleep, she made her way inside to see a scene she didn't expect…umm…not that…More like she didn't expect to see it so soon. She smiled at herself and brought her hand on her mouth… "Hehe…Things are getting interesting!" she said to herself and walked silently back to the room… "Even though, I'm getting a little jealous…" she muttered happily…

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 10

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything.

 **CHAPTER 10**

 **Somewhere in Japan…**

Japan, the land of the rising sun…

A beautiful woman was watching the sunrise, enjoying the morning breeze. She liked how the wind played with her black shoulder length hair and how refreshed she was feeling while breathing this fresh air. Oh…She loved this…She was always doing that, well, whenever she had the chance. This is so peaceful, she thought. The scenery, the birds, which started to chirp, and the sound of the trees' leaves were clearing her mind. She had a lot inside her head. A lot she had to do. Whenever her duties were occupying fully her mind, unconsciously, she would walk outside and enjoy the nature, one of the things she felt she belonged to. Snow, sun, wind, rain…She was satisfied with everything. Each one of them had something, which made it special to her. She smiled at herself and sat next to a tree resting her back on the tree trunk. She opened one of the books, she picked without caring what it was about. She read the title and smiled. It was one of the books of a big importance to her. She frowned slightly and placed the book beside her. Her gaze followed the sunrise once again…

A young woman, pretty as well, opened bothered her puffy light brown eyes. She was sleeping till that time. She turned to her left to check the time. She held the alarm clock and after taking a look at it her eyes widened…WHAT?! She said in the inside. Without thinking much about it, she left the alarm clock back to where it was and in an instant placed her pillow above her head trying to sleep once again…

However…

Chirp, chirp, chirp…

She threw angrily the pillow on the floor and stood up. She rubbed her eyes and was ready to start crying. Damned birds! Couldn't they start their "singing" later? At normal morning hours? It was just six thirty, just minutes before, the sun started to rise. She sighed…

ACHOO!

And yes…The birds weren't her only problem of the season. The spring along with the blooming trees, brings the seasonal allergies as well. She sneezed once again and then again and again. Her nose became red and thinking that she wasn't going to stop, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She opened the faucet and started brushing her teeth. She hated the morning breath. Well, who didn't? She looked at her swollen face and frowned.

" _I look terrible…Imagine how I'll look in about fifteen years. I'll better stop thinking about it, now that I mentioned it."_ she thought…

After freshening up, she took off her night pink gown and placed it on a chair inside the bedroom. She changed her underwear and opened the drawer to look for something to wear. She decided on an orange plain knee length dress. She smiled at her choice. Yeah! Orange, along with pink, was her favorite color. She wore it and after fixing a little her bed, made her way downstairs. She looked around her and raised an eyebrow…

" _Where is everybody?"_ she questioned herself…

She walked around the kitchen and again there wasn't anyone. She checked the other bedroom and here the same. She started panicking. Finally, someone else found her…

The girl looked at the place and said with a relieving smiled…

"Oh Panda…There you are."

The animal walked to her mistress' side and looked at her. She noticed the relief in her face, when she saw her being safe. But how could she think that she would leave her? She would do everything for the girl, who saved her from sly people by taking her to her side and raised her since the time she was a cub. She felt the young woman's hand on her head…

"I'm so happy, I'm seeing you…Here have some bamboo." She said as she took out one bamboo stick. She was hiding them since Panda was quite sneaky and as she would always tell her: "Panda? Bamboo isn't free, you know."

Panda started savoring her bamboo but still her mistress was wearing a worried expression. She saw her as she looked at her once again and heard her saying…

"You were awake, weren't you? Have you seen her? I'm worried."

Her pet knew who was she talking about and yes, the person was safe. She nodded and her friend sighed in relief once again. Being sure that she was safe, she opened the door and walked outside. Panda followed her. She walked some minutes and then she saw her. Of course…Couldn't she at least leave a note? Just some piece of paper and a pen. Nothing she couldn't find inside the house, right?

That woman was always a responsible person, so why did she have to scare her like that? She started walking there and watched as she was watching the sunrise. The girl was mesmerized. That beautiful woman in front of her looked like a piece of art with the scenery as her background. She fit so well with the atmosphere. She smiled and approached her from behind…

"JUN!" she said loudly as she grabbed lightly the woman's shoulders…

Jun turned her head after the frightening the young woman gave her and touched one of her hands after giving her a small smile.

"Xiaoyu, dear…Good morning."

Xiaoyu walked in front of her and sat opposite her. She gave her a big smile unlike that one of Jun's and said apologetically…

"Same here…And…umm…Sorry for scaring you."

Jun nodded…

"It's alright! You didn't mean to."

"Actually, I did." said Xiaoyu as a matter of fact. That made the older woman look confused at her…

"Don't give me that look, ok? You scared the h…I mean you had me back there. I was really worried. Don't do that again, ok? Or at least let me know. Write a note for example."

The Japanese woman realized that the enthusiastic girl in front of her was right. With the way things were now, they always need to be on alert and especially these two women. Each one for her own reasons. She cupped her face with her hand and said kindly…

"You couldn't be more right than that. I won't do that ever again…"

She waved her hands…

"No, I mean you could just let me know of it. For me to be informed."

Jun laughed slightly and nodded…

Xiaoyu turned her head to where Jun was looking before and her gaze fell on the rising sun. She placed a hand on her forehead as to cover a little her eyes from the blinding sun. Definitely, the pink-rose color of the dawn fit Jun perfectly. The older woman, after noticing where the young girl was looking, touched her shoulder making her turn to face her and said…

"Isn't it pretty?"

"Uh…What?" she said confused…

"The sunrise…Feels peaceful, doesn't it?"

Xiaoyu lowered her gaze on the ground and smiled… "Well, I'm more of a sunset person. Less blinding sun, you see."

"Hehe…I understand!"

The blacked haired young girl took a breath and looked once again at Jun… "But it's so like you, Jun."

"Eh?"

"The sunrise, I mean. You bring light after the darkness of the night."

Jun swallowed hard and tightened her grips. She wasn't pleased with what she was hearing. She was aware of her abilities but she didn't want for Xiaoyu to think of her in that way…

…

Jun Kazama never liked being called the "Chosen One". She knew that she was different than the others and that was obvious from the way her clan was acting towards her. After, realizing her powers, Jun wasn't treated as a normal family member. She would see people smile at her but she could sense the fear inside them. Why would they feel scared of her? Did she do anything that she didn't realize? Doubts and ignorance back then, made her be some time cautious with people. Not in the bad way, however. She just needed some extra time as to open up to a person.

When she grew up and started living as an adult, Jun was described as a mysterious person between people of her surroundings. The woman was aware of her reputation but she didn't intent in changing anything in her character just to fit in. If she wanted to do that, she would be still staying with her family. All she wanted was for someone to see her as "Jun" and not as "Jun of the Kazama clan". Was she asking too much?

…

"Jun?"

The woman's eyes widened as she noticed that she was lost in her thoughts. She looked at the concerned Xiaoyu, who from the day of their meeting started calling her "Jun" like she wanted, and gave her a smile to calm her down…

"Say, Xiaoyu…Are you hungry?"

The girl felt as her stomach was begging her for some attention and she cursed it as she thought that Jun found out. So embarrassing…However, her stomach wasn't the first thing she worried her right now. She decided, in the end, to stay silent since she could tell that Jun didn't like what she told her before. What should I do? Thought Xiaoyu in the inside as she was watching the older woman waiting for her…In the end, she couldn't think of anything and looked at her…

"For sure I am! Shall we go back?" said Xiaoyu managing a smile…

Jun gave her, her positive answer and the two women made their way back home with Panda following them…

…

The two women had their breakfast. Both of them really enjoyed their meals together since they have missed the cozy atmosphere between two people of the same wavelength. Well, not exactly wavelength, since they were by sixty percent opposites. Jun was always serious, in contrast to Xiaoyu, who would take seriously a situation in which people were in danger and she had to think of something to help them or when that "guy" was involved… Almost all the times. The two had a charm which made them special. Jun was the mysterious one. No one, even her own son, could guess what was inside that woman's head. On the other hand, Xiaoyu's charm was her cheery self, which made everyone sure they knew what she was thinking but that was what they believed. Despite her character, the young girl allowed only a small amount of people to see her true self. She wasn't so open to everyone. Jun would always put others above herself, when Xiaoyu would make sure she had her fun as well.

These two women, in the same time, had very strong similarities. They could love unconditionally and show the same tenacity. Both of them have proved this, each one in her own way. Jun knew that this girl was much more close to how she was than her niece, who shared her powers. But to her it didn't matter who had the power in her hands. For Jun, willingness and determination showed the true meaning of power. She didn't know of Asuka but Xiaoyu possessed both. However, she had to make sure that Xiaoyu would use these traits of hers to make someone else as strong as her. She felt a little guilty since she would be able to teach the girl beside her so many things. She wasn't positive, if she could do the same with Asuka, since that girl, as Jun inspected her, was one, who always acted on impulse and sometimes didn't take things seriously or better couldn't manage to make an appropriate judgment of a situation. She didn't know her, so she may have misjudged her. And that was the reason why Xiaoyu was going to make them meet. Well, not face to face, since the young girl would probably freak out. She knew sadly that with her brother's death her niece wasn't in a stable condition as to accept the "revival" of a person she considered dead and she wasn't the only one. But Jun found out a way to help her niece. Her mother abandoned both her and her father, and now she lost him, as well. After them, she was the one closest…

But then she remembered as Xiaoyu told her that Asuka seemed as a determent and stubborn girl, even though they never talked. She reassured her that she was going to make it just fine. However, Xiaoyu didn't know that Jun's niece would have to use her powers sooner than she expected.

Xiaoyu was done with washing the dishes and closed the faucet. She wiped her hands with a towel and then walked to the living room. She saw as Jun was writing something in that notebook again. She guessed what was it about but never asked and of course even though she was dying to know, she wasn't going to take advantage of Jun's trust by going to read it secretly. Jun sensing her presence closed the notebook and turned her head to see her…

"Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

"You were busy and I thought I shouldn't bother you."

Jun smiled and motioned for her to come and sit next to her. Xiaoyu did as she asked her. The older woman placed the notebook on the coffee table next to the couch and then took Xiaoyu's hands with her own. The girl looked first at her hands and then at Jun's gentle eyes. The situation is awkward, thought Xiaoyu. She managed a smile as well and then Jun said…

"Dear, you're seeing as I'm writing once in a while in that notebook, aren't you?"

Xiaoyu nodded being both confused and happy that she, maybe, was going to let her know what she wrote inside. Jun released her and rested her back on the couch's back. The young girl took one of the couch's pillows and hugged it. Jun realized that the faster Xiaoyu learnt everything the better. The time was coming already. They had discussed some things but she didn't tell her much in these three months they were living together. She was a girl, who wasn't used to situations like these and she thoughtlessly picked her to help her with her plans. Now she believed that she could talk to her since she wasn't that confused girl she was before…

 **Yakushima, three months ago…**

 _Jun Kazama walked outside her house as she watched a panda carrying an unconscious girl on its back. She was the responsible one for this and the one, who caused her all these headaches the last few days. But she couldn't do otherwise. By entering her mind and controlling her body would be able to protect her. She remembered the day when she decided to take her by her side. Kazuya wasn't going to let her go and because she knew of the impact she had on him, she took advantage of the situation to save Xiaoyu. Finally, when she got her out of there she made sure that she would come to her. For that she asked Panda's help, who had already found out why her mistress was having these headaches but she wasn't worried because Jun Kazama was with her. And for sure, the animal trusted this kind, selfless woman._

 _When, Panda brought Xiaoyu to the entrance of the house, Jun touched gently her face and helped Panda bring her inside. She placed her carefully on the couch and waited for her to wake up. She had her laying down using her lap as a pillow and she started caressing her black hair. Some time later, she opened slowly her eyes and her gaze fell on Jun's gentle one. She wasn't scared. It was like she was expecting to see someone in front of her. At first that woman was completely unfamiliar to her but then she saw her soft brown eyes. She knew these eyes. She longed for them to look at her like she was looking at his. The woman smiled and cupped her face once again…_

" _I'm glad you're up!"_

 _Xiaoyu gave her a small smile. Even though she was confused to hell, she knew that she was safe beside that woman's side. She tried to stand up but she felt a little dizzy and Jun set her on her lap again…_

" _You don't have to rush it. Rest. Could it be that you're hungry?"_

 _She shook negatively her head. The last thing she cared about right now was her stomach, or wasn't? She thought as she felt it growling. Jun smiled and said…_

" _I'll prepare something. You stay here, ok?" with that she stood up and placed a pillow below Xiaoyu's head._

 _However, Xiaoyu as the curious person that she was, ignored Jun's words and stood up. She was holding her head and followed the way she went. She saw her as she opened the fridge and took some ingredients out of it. After that she closed it and placed them on the counter. The young girl approached her and said…_

" _My name is Xiaoyu."_

 _Jun looked at her and nodded…_

" _I know of you. I'm Jun Kazama."_

" _Same here…I've heard of you. You're Jin's mom, right?"_

 _Jun started preparing a sandwich for the girl. She nodded without looking at her. As she guessed, she called him "Jin"…no honorifics. She liked that. Her son had let a person to come so close to him. On the other hand, Jun didn't know that Xiaoyu wasn't using them, except on some occasions. These occasions were her grandfather and Heihachi, who she was grateful for. But yes, those, who she was relaxed around and let her guard down was calling them with their given name. On Jin's case, Xiaoyu from the time she met him called him by his name. His aura made her feel him close to her just with an eye contact. Is that what you call chemistry? She thought back there. But when he started calling her affectionately "Xiao" she realized that he felt the same…_

" _He looks like you."_

" _Looks" thought Jun…_

 _So, the girl in front of her believed that her son was alive. She looked in her eyes and saw a glint of excitement. Was she going to reciprocate to her expectations? She hoped so. Jin deserved to live a peaceful life next to people, who were eager to love him, and especially the girl in front of her. She was determent by any means to make that true._

" _Is that so?" she said after a small pause…_

 _Xiaoyu nodded positively…_

 _Jun didn't say anything back and placed the dish with the sandwich in front of her. She smiled as she did so and sat on one of the other chairs, as she saw her sitting on the one in front of her. Xiaoyu looked first at her and then at the sandwich. She was the second person, who prepared something like that to her. The first was her sweet and confident mother, who she left behind. Something so small, created that thought inside her mind…_

" _Aren't you going to eat it? Or is it that you don't like it? Let me make you something else."_

 _Xiaoyu shook her head negatively…_

" _No, no! I just thought of something, Jun."_

 _The woman was surprised when she heard the girl calling her plainly…Jun. For an unknown reason that warmed her heart…Suddenly, Xiaoyu realized what she did…_

" _Umm…Sorry…Please, forgive me, I was so rude." She said and brought her hands together…_

" _What are you taking about? You made me very happy…Call me Jun, no honorifics. Just like you did with Jin."_

 _Xiaoyu's eyes widened…_

" _How do you know?! I mean, how do you know I know Jin?"_

 _Jun smiled awkwardly… "Did you forget? Just before, you said that he looks like me."_

 _Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at her idiocy…_

" _True, I did. You must think I'm an idiot."_

" _Of course not! You're just confused."_

" _A little…Thanks for understanding."_

 _Jun stood up to pour some tea for them. Xiaoyu started eating her sandwich. She looked at this amazing woman's back. She seemed lonely but Xiaoyu decided, if she was going to stay here, she would make sure, that Jun would always being seen smiling. Since she didn't have any luck with the son, she could at least do her best with the mother…_

" _Jun?"_

" _Yes?" replied Jun as she set a cup of tea in front of Xiaoyu…_

" _Umm…I believe that you would tell me eventually but…ermm…you were the one, who helped me with Kazuya, weren't you?"_

 _She didn't know what to say. Jun was expecting something like "why she was here or what she wanted to do with her". And yes, she was going to tell her about it right now…Well, after she would seem more calmed down. But how could she tell? Did Kazuya say anything? Of course not. Even in his weak state, he wouldn't even mention the name that made him so weak…Both physically and emotionally…_

" _How come you're asking me something like that?"_

…

 _Xiaoyu sighed. Maybe, she shouldn't have asked. Her grandfather had told her when she was little of a woman he met, that she was very kind with extraordinary powers. At first she thought that he was telling her a fairytale. Back then she had told him that it was the worst and most boring fairytale he ever told her. Wang Jinrey rolled mentally his eyes and questioned his relation with that young audacious girl, he was having on his lap…but then he remembered that his daughter, and mother of the girl, was like that, as well…_

 _As Xiaoyu heard from her beloved teacher and grandfather that this wasn't a fairytale but a true story, she asked him to take her to that woman and that she wanted to meet her by herself, since she didn't believe him. Wang told her back then that he couldn't know where she was now but if he knew he would absolutely take her to see her. The little Xiaoyu was still obstinate enough and asked him what kind of powers that woman had but Wang with a smile had told her, in the end: "I have no idea what kind of amazing that power of hers is but I can tell you, my dear, that you have no reason to fear it."_

 _As she grew up and Xiaoyu told her grandfather of her new friend Jin Kazama, she had noticed his surprised expression. Back then, he asked of what she knew about him. The girl found it weird, since it was the first time she witnessed her grandfather being so restless. She told him everything she knew and that he might know his mother, since they participated in the same tournament. She told him her name and saw as her grandfather let out a desperate sigh…_

…

" _Have you heard maybe of an old stubborn man claiming to be my grandfather? Wang Jinrey?"_

 _Jun's mouth was left slightly open…_

" _I do know him. But what does this have to do with what we're talking about?"_

" _When I was little, he told me about a really kind woman he knew with amazing powers. Powers that I had no reason to fear. He, also, was very surprised when I told him that I met Jin and how all this happened and the conversation brought us back to you. He was so persistent and, in the end, I realized that the woman my grandfather valued so much was you"_

 _Jun smiled…_

" _Valued? I'm honored. I really respected your grandfather. Almost everyone did in the tournament and he…"_

" _HAHAHAHA!"_

" _Why are you laughing?" she asked confused…_

" _If you tell me that the Williams duo, also, respected him, I'll go nuts."_

" _No one expected them too. I believe that your grandfather would, also, find it weird or unexpected, if they did."_

" _True, so very true!"_

" _Anyway, to answer your question, since I know now the reason you have this information, yes…I was the one. I acted so selfishly."_

 _Xiaoyu's eyes widened in disbelief…_

" _What are you talking about? You saved me."_

 _Jun gave her a nod… "That was the least I could do for what I'm going to ask you to do for me."_

 _The girl looked at her in question. What could she do for Jun Kazama? The woman, her grandfather talked so mighty about, even in front of her mother, his own daughter, who was around her age…_

" _What do you mean?" she asked almost in a whisper…_

….

 **Present day…**

"Xiaoyu?" Jun called her name…

The girl was looking at the woman waiting for every word she was going to hear from her. Even she realized that the time was coming. Even though she wasn't sure of what Jun was having inside her mind, she knew that the woman was going to sacrifice a lot once again…

"Hm?"

"I have to be gone for a little while."

Her eyes widened… "What?! Why?!"

Jun placed her hand reassuringly on Xiaoyu's shoulder… "Don't worry, it won't be for a long time. Some days only and if I sense that you're in danger, I'll come back immediately and still I'm not sure about when I'm going to leave, anyway."

"Jun? I'm not saying this because I fear for my safety, I can protect myself, but about you. It's your safety that worries me."

The kind woman pulled her into her arms. She started bonding with the optimistic girl and she knew that the departure was going to be a tough one but she was sure that she was going to bring her a present even when she's gone. A present that Xiaoyu wanted to have and one Jun wanted to give to Xiaoyu and her son. The young girl hugged her back leaving the pillow fall on the carpeted floor…

"You don't have to worry about me. See? Even Kazuya couldn't do anything to me."

"There's not only Kazuya in this world…I…"

Jun sighed and released Xiaoyu… "You're scared of that other man?"

The girl nodded. Three months ago, she believed that Lars Alexandersson could save them all. But things weren't changing and the man was becoming more like his ancestors. At least that was how he was going to end up. Maybe, he decided to use Jin's methods but there was no point. Xiaoyu was scared of the fact that the man, her grandfather put his faith on, would maybe turned into his father and brother. She hoped not…

"Not exactly…You see…I'm scared **for** him. I know that he's not like them. Not even like Jin. He's more like an outsider but this massive power and its influence. Heihachi was turned into that because of his lust for power. Kazuya first wanted to have his revenge but hatred turned him into the same…"

"Kazuya is not…"

Jun stopped what she was going to say. She still hoped for something good in the man, who she was drawn to. Yes, she still believed that there was a bit of light in his dark world, since she managed to enter his mind and stop him from hurting the innocent girl next to her. Xiaoyu looked at her. She noticed that Jun was going to say something about Kazuya. Something like he used to be different. Well, of course. She believed the same way. No one can snap one day and say that he's evil…in real life, she added…She frowned when she saw the woman's expression. She understood her perfectly. Could it be that Jun still felt something for this man? She had a son with him and she didn't have her for a woman, who goes for one night stands. Maybe she did or maybe she hoped that her son's father had still something decent inside of him. Only Jun knew the reason behind this sorrowful expression she was wearing…

"Were you going to say anything?"

"No…I mean yes. That man, Lars Alexandersson, is still pure inside my heart. His aura gives a peaceful sense. I believe in him."

"Jun…I don't want to disagree with you but believing in him is all that we can do. There's no space for anything else. We **can't** do anything else."

Jun smiled something which confused Xiaoyu…

"Now you're being overdramatic. Why am I here then? Both you and I. You think we're here just to worry about whether Lars Alexandersson is going to turn evil?"

Xiaoyu shook her head negatively. Jun was right. She was turning overdramatic without noticing it. True, Jun said from the beginning that she had a plan and that she was going to help her. Xiaoyu, of course, was eager to help in any way she could and she remembered Jun's grateful expression as she told her that. She had to snap out of it and listen to the woman, who admired a lot…

"You're right! That was so stupid of me. It's not my busyness whether that man turns evil or not. We have our plan and we're going to pull it out." Said Xiaoyu enthusiastically and Jun started clapping her hands…

"Jun, stop that!"

The two laughed for some seconds but it was seriously now the time for Xiaoyu to learn what she had to do, thought Jun…

"Xiaoyu, dear?" she said…

"Umm…Sorry, we shouldn't distract ourselves. Let's do it! Tell me how I can help you."

"Are you really ready?" asked Jun concerned…

Xiaoyu nodded determinately…

"Yup! Xiao is on the move."

"Hehe…Well, then…Will you lend me your help?"

…

 **After Jun had told her everything…**

Xiaoyu started crying…Why did she have to suffer another loss? Somewhere in the back of her head she knew that her cohabitation with Jun was going to end eventually. But still, she managed to feel herself and happy around that woman and mostly after a long time…Safe, with the whole true meaning of the word…Jun started rocking her like a kid in her embrace. She felt the same way but since her comeback she knew that this would be the outcome…

"Please, don't cry…I don't know if I can hold myself any longer. Two grown up women crying, not one of the most exciting scenes, right?"

Xiaoyu pulled away from Jun's embrace. She knew that she wasn't making it any easier for the fearless woman in front of her. From the beginning she said that she wouldn't back down and now she had to keep her promise to herself. She wiped her tears and looked at her…

"I understand."

"I'm glad you do. There are some things in this world that we just have to accept. It's our fate."

The younger girl's eyes widened as she heard "this" word coming out from Jun's mouth. She stood up angrily leaving Jun confused…

"Xiaoyu?"

"F-Fate? I hate that thing…"

"Wait…What I mean is…"

She closed her ears. Xiaoyu hated listening to all those sayings about how our lives depend on that fate thing or that we cannot change it. Her grandfather was always talking about staff like that. She never took him seriously since she believed, and she still does, that we are responsible for our future and no one decides it for us. But there was one certain thing that hurt her deeply. Jin…How dare he value our friendship on fate or karma as he called it? How could he do that to her? Was it always what he was thinking? She was never going to forgive him for that…Our feelings, Jin, whatever their kind is cannot be decided or change by that thing.

"Can I ask you a question, Jun?"

"Umm…sure."

Xiaoyu sat next to her once again. She sensed Jun's cluelessness…

"Did your fate decide your feelings for Kazuya?"

Jun stayed silent after hearing her…What could she say? Was it her fate to suffer another person's fate? And of course, she didn't mean Jin. If it wasn't for that man there would be no Jin, in the first place. But she remembered…Even for a short amount of time Kazuya showed her some kindness. At least, she felt he did. She couldn't know his feelings or if he thought of having some for her. On the other hand, Jun wanted him to be kind to her and nice. She wished to see his smile for once. Kazuya never smiled to her and that had hurt her. She only wanted a smile and she didn't have the time to earn it…

"I can't know…Forgive me."

Xiaoyu frowned. She shouldn't have asked this of Jun. She suffered a lot. It was an outcome to not know, since her time with Kazuya was just some moments. She was the last one to ask…

"No, I should be the one apologizing. Your thoughts are your own, same goes with me."

"That's true…I mean our thoughts…"

"Uh…yeah."

They nodded at each other and Xiaoyu said again…

"To get back on the main subject. You're finishing that book and then…"

"Actually…" said Jun interrupting her… "I just finished with what I wanted to write. It's ready for my niece to read it."

Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow. Jun finishing the book made her somehow anxious. It meant that she had to prepare herself as to how she could approach Asuka. However, that wasn't the only reason. All this meant that Jun was really going to disappear from her life very soon…

"I see…" A sigh left her mouth… "But Jun, how will I know where she is?"

"You see…That thing…I know."

"But it's not only that…From what you have told me, Asuka is in a very vulnerable mental state. What should I do as to not scare her? It's not like we know each other personally."

Jun touched Xiaoyu's shoulder as she saw her hugging her legs. "I believe in you. Now you can't think of anything and I can't help you because I don't know how she thinks. I'm positive that when you see her, everything will take its way. On the other hand, Asuka needs a friend, who will care about her, and something to hang on."

Xiaoyu glanced at Jun as she was trying to think of how Asuka was feeling right now. How she would react if she learns that she has the same powers her supposed deceased aunt had. Everyone is confused when it comes to something abnormal. Imagine what happens when you are the one having this kind of powers. But Jun was right. The girl must be informed of her powers soon enough and Xiaoyu would do her best to make Asuka trust her and if she wanted to be her friend.

…

The two women talked for a long time about Jun's plan. Xiaoyu was nodding her head as the older woman was giving her instructions in how to do things. The Chinese girl cursed her luck in the inside. She believed that she wouldn't have to meet Asuka personally but since Jun wanted to give her niece something, which was going to belong to her, she obviously needed to speak with her face to face. That girl was seriously difficult to deal with and the most important thing was that Xiaoyu was positive of Asuka not wanting to listen to her…

…

Every day, in the late afternoon, Jun and Xiaoyu were found sparring with each other outside the Kazama residence. They weren't going easy on each other since it's been a long time, especially for Jun, that they didn't have a normal fight. The Japanese woman was, at first, surprised when she realized that Xiaoyu was using the Mishima Fighting Style, as well. However, after learning from Xiaoyu the promise she made with her son and how she thought that she had a chance to defeat him, Jun understood everything. Didn't she do the same with Jin for that reason? To make him strong?

…

A mysterious woman was inspecting them from a distance. That was the place, she nodded at herself. She found the woman she wanted but what was this young girl doing here? Did she have to be suspicious of her? Was she dangerous? The black haired woman never judged a person from his or hers appearance. This would be a foolish thing to do from everyone. But the thing she cared about now was to find out what was that woman's plan and what she wanted to achieve. Thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea, she didn't make her move on her. She knew that she was going to definitely see her. With this last thought the woman left the place and went back home…

For a moment, Jun stopped and didn't manage to dodge Xiaoyu's attack. Her mind had gone blank for a second. She felt something, a presence in the atmosphere. She fell on the ground and the young girl took a worried expression in fear that she may have hurt her unconsciously…

"Jun?! Are you ok? I'm sorry, did it hurt much?" she said rushing to her side…

Jun looked around her and then brought her gaze at the worried girl's one. She shook her head…

"No, dear…I spaced out for a moment that's all."

"Is that so? Are you sure?"

Jun stood up and said grabbing Xiaoyu's shoulders…

"I'm not that old, ok?"

"You know what I mean."

"Hehe…sure I do. But it's your turn now. It's your turn to make the first attack."

Xiaoyu smiled at the woman and it was her turn to make her attack…

"Alright! Here I go!"

Jun Kazama started thinking of the presence she sensed around the place. She could tell that it wasn't dangerous but it was confusing enough…Was someone had the intention to meddle with her plans or hurt Xiaoyu? She hoped that she wouldn't have to take other measures to avoid any of that…There was only one thing inside Jun Kazama's mind…No one was going to interfere with her plans!

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 11

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything.

 **CHAPTER 11**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, reception…**

"Yes, ok. I'll inform Mr. Alexandersson immediately. I'll make sure he will receive it directly. Thank you."

The woman closed the phone and when she was ready to call Lars' office, she saw him as he was walking inside the Zaibatsu with Alisa by his side. He was smiling sweetly at her as she was telling him about the new TV show she watched yesterday. Alisa wanted to keep in contact with Hwoarang since he managed to make her feel close to him. She liked him a lot and what they were talking about. Sometimes Alisa didn't understand the content of their discussions but he had something that made her want to listen to him. He reminded her of someone, she didn't have the chance to know. All in all, what she was talking about with him had mostly to do with the TV shows he liked and he recommended her to watch some of them…

"I see you like him a lot, right?" said Lars to her…

"Hwoarang-senpai is very nice and has the time to talk to me."

"Is that so?" he said ironically. That guy had the time to talk with Alisa about whatever bullshit he was watching and didn't even thought of calling him to give him a proper report about how things were going on his side. Well, it was good that Alisa had someone she could talk to since he didn't have a lot of time to spend with her. And of course, with her character, she would like to associate with people, who were still young enough to be interested in what Alisa was. Wait, yeah…Hwoarang was about twenty three…Four? Well, he was sure he was between these two. Still, young enough in contrast to him, at least that was what he was thinking of himself…Lars was trying to act cool in front of his best friend but truth was that he found it somewhat weird…not that, but he couldn't realize how fast he entered the phase 3-0. Well, he was going to in the summer. Till, then, he was going to keep saying that he is twenty nine. When, Tougou found out about these thoughts of his, of course, he wouldn't let this go smoothly. He had the chance to make sure his friend was teased. Well, maybe, until he would be thirty as well. In about two years, specifically…

"Right! If you ever have some free time Lars-senpai, could you, please, watch it with me?"

Lars noticed Alisa's trembling voice. She really missed her friend, didn't she? Maybe, he should form a small team to start looking for this girl. Alisa said to him, when he tricked her to tell him, that she wasn't at the place where she was supposed to go and that Kazuya had her for some time with him. She didn't tell him the details like Miharu was the one being kidnapped and that Xiaoyu went there to save her friend but Lars got the message anyway…

"I promise you, Alisa. The next time I have some free time we will watch that show you liked so much but you'll have to tell me the summary of it, ok?"

Alisa nodded to him…

"Of course, I will! Thank you!"

Lars smiled and placed gently his hand around her shoulder like he was guiding her around. They reached the elevator and when they were going to walk inside, the receptionist said, as she caught up with them…

"Mr. Alexandersson!?"

The other two looked behind and watched the woman trying to catch her breath…

"Yes?" he said…

"They…they…" she tried to say…

"Please, take your time…"

The woman nodded and after taking some breaths she managed to pull herself together and said to her boss…

"I had a call from the second military base. They said that a fax will be sent to your office in about three hours."

Lars thought for a second… _"Did that guy do as I asked him, finally? On the phone, when we talked, he was quite strange."_

"Did they tell you anything about the content?"

The woman shook her head negatively…

"No, sir…Only that it will be sent directly to you."

"I see." Lars bowed to her and she did the same…

"You can return to your duties. Thank you."

"Anytime, sir!" she said and bowed once again. She watched as Lars and Alisa entered the elevator and made her way back to her office…

Inside the elevator, Alisa took a small glance of Lars thinking deeply about something. She decided to not interrupt him and thought about what she should watch that day with Lars. Alisa Bosconovitch was always putting her mission first whenever needed but when her chainsaws were inside her arms and her head on her shoulders she was still a teenage girl thinking about how to have fun. After hearing the high pitched "ting", the two walked outside the elevator and walked to Lars' office. Lars pressed the code of the door and after they were allowed the entrance…in his own office…they walked inside. He threw his jacket on the couch and made his way to his office. He sat on his black leather chair and Alisa took a seat opposite him. He immediately took in his hands the phone he had inside there and called someone. When he dropped the call he turned to Alisa…

"Alisa?" said Lars…

"Yes?"

"Did you like the food? I wish we could go where you told me you wanted to go but…"

Alisa waved her hands…

"I sure did, Lars-senpai. The fact that you made me the favor to accompany me was more than enough."

Lars shook his head… "It doesn't go like this. What do you think of me? I enjoy spending time with you, as well, even though I believe that if Hwoarang was here, you would choose him…right?"

"Well…I, maybe…" mumbled Alisa confusingly…

"You're cruel, Alisa...Admitting it so easily... You hurt me."

"You misunderstood me, Lars-senpai. Forgive me…p-please." She said with a saddened frown above her eyebrows…

Lars stayed silent for a moment…Alisa looked at him awaiting a response…

"Hahahaha!" he started laughing and the girl looked strangely at him…

"Uh…"

Lars stopped after some time and looked at her, who was wearing a puzzled expression…

"Sorry, Alisa…Forgive me, ok? For making fun of you, I mean…"

Alisa pouted after giving him a sigh… "You always tease me, Lars-senpai."

"Hehe…Then, don't let yourself open."

Alisa sighed, once again, but in the end smiled at Lars' happy expression. It was true that she was worried about him. He was very stressed from the time Kazuya Mishima planned this war against him. He was barely smiling and most of the times his smile was a fake one. Only Tougou and Alisa could see through it…

Lars stopped his uncontrollable laugh when he heard someone knocking on his door. He didn't bother asking who it was because he obviously knew. He pressed the button and a man alongside a woman walked inside…

"You called, Lars?"

Tougou said as he walked inside his friend's office. On any other occasion, he wouldn't be bothered by his sudden request to see him but this time it was different…

 _ **One hour ago…**_

 _Julia Chang was waiting for the man, who invited her to lunch, at the Mishima Zaibatsu's reception. She waited for about five minutes. She wasn't from the women, who would care if her partner was to be a little late…always referring on the occasion of the partner being a man. She looked at her wristwatch and pursed her lips. She frowned. Well, ok…She had to show some understanding. He was coming here from outside Tokyo, where the main military base was. She touched the bridge of her nose and rubbed it a little. Her glasses started bothering her and for that reason she decided to take them off. She opened her bag and took out her glasses' case. She placed them in and as she was ready to put them back inside her bag she felt a hand on her shoulder…_

 _It took her a while to realize, who that man was. Obviously, she knew but she had never seen him in casual clothing. He was a very handsome man. Yeah…Even in his uniform, he was handsome but seeing him relaxed and without his usual unintentional frown, that confirmed her thoughts that Tougou was a completely different person when he didn't have duties. Well, if she first saw him in this version of his, she could definitely say that he and Lars could be truly best friends._

 _Tougou noticed her expression. He didn't intent to frighten her but he obviously did he thought. He removed his hand from her shoulder. Maybe, his hand bothered her. He was confused and clueless. Julia was always with the smile on her face. Why was she like that now? Did I do anything? He said to himself…_

" _Uh…Julia…Did I scare you? Forgive me if I…"_

 _The young woman smiled and waved her hands. Tougou's words brought her to reality. She must have seemed as an idiot in front of the man. What was wrong with her? For a moment she wondered what kind of expression she was wearing. She hoped nothing TOO embarrassing, since she surely knew that she didn't show him her usual expression…_

" _No, no…uhh…I mean you had me a little, since I…uhh…was expecting to see you from the main entrance." She said cursing herself in the inside thinking of what kind of lame excuses she was spouting at the man in front of her…_

 _Tougou nodded. Made sense, he thought…_

" _I see…I parked at the back parking so…you understand."_

" _Oh yeah! Shall we go?"_

" _Sure! After you."_

 _Julia smiled and started walking to the back entrance as Tougou motioned for her. When they arrived there, he opened the door for her and she walked out first. Tougou did the same and then closed the door behind him. He looked at her back and said making her turn to see him…_

" _Well, sorry for being late. Usually, I mean always, I'm on time. And I'm saying this because is one of the things I'm proud of."_

 _Julia nodded…_

" _True! Punctuality is a very good trait in a person. Uhh…Sorry for interrupting…You were trying to say something…"_

 _He scratched the back of his head. He both pitied and was angry at his self. He was acting like a fifteen year old. No, nowadays teenagers were much bolder than he would ever be. It started since he realized his true feelings for the woman, who managed after a big preparation to ask her to join him for lunch. At first, he was going to plan for it to be a date but he was proved a big coward, in the end. At least she said yes…_

" _Not really. I wanted to apologize for being late."_

" _Don't mention it! You were coming from outside Tokyo anyway."_

 _Tougou shook his head negatively… "It wasn't the case. I would be on time but I wanted to change. I invited you to lunch. I couldn't possibly appear like that."_

" _Hehe…You did that for me?" she asked touching her chest…_

" _Uhh…Yeah…"_

" _I appreciate it. What would you say if next time I'm inviting you to share some coffee?"_

 _A smile appeared on his lips. She couldn't imagine how happy these words of hers and every smile she gave him meant to him. But he knew she didn't feel the same way about him. It was Lars. Of course, he knew that Lars didn't even know of that and he never thought of putting the blame on him for everything. Tougou decided that if Lars returned Julia's feelings, he would back off. He wouldn't risk his friendship with him for anything and he knew that Lars would do the same…_

" _Tougou?"_

 _He turned and looked at her…_

" _If you don't like coffee, we could make it some tea."_

" _Let's stay on the first choice. Twenty eight years I'm in this country, all I hear about is…Tea, tea, tea…"_

" _You're right!"_

 _Soon after, they arrived at a very cozy restaurant. Tougou was positive that Julia was the type, who preferred this style of atmosphere and as he saw her face, he smiled at his lucky guess. He led her to his usual table and they waited for the waiter to come and get their order…_

" _Tougou, as I guess you're ordering Japanese, right?"_

 _He nodded. The last thing he cared right now was what he was going to eat. Obviously, he was a lot more interested in his company. Who wouldn't be when your companion is the one you like?_

" _What about you?" he asked her…_

" _I have no idea…"_

" _You trust me?" he said and she raised an eyebrow confused…_

" _You mean the food?"_

" _Uh…Yes. So?"_

 _Julia smiled. "Of course!"_

" _Then, let me order for you."_

 _She nodded and brought her hands together… "Take care of me."_

 _Tougou looked at her…_

" _You, Japanese, say that, right?" she asked fearing that she said something weird. On the other hand, Julia Chang had almost all the times a hard time dealing with the people of this county. They were so damned kind that she was finding it almost irritating. Being here all these months made her miss the way of life in the USA. At least she could communicate with them not fearing if she touches a shoulder or if she accidentally kisses a person on the cheek as a greeting. And, forget about it, if it was the people, she would have to deal only that would be ok. In Japan everyday life for her was always something new. And not with the good meaning of the idea. Every day, she would realize that she did something wrong again and that because of the way people were looking at her. Thank God, the one she liked was Lars Alexandersson, she had thought back then…_

" _Tougou, did I say something stupid?"_

 _He shook his head… "No, no…We do say it. I just didn't expect to hear you saying this. It seems that you're getting used to the life here, am I right?"_

 _Julia smiled at him. It was true that this last month Tougou was helping her a lot with her assimilation in this country. However, she didn't know if she wanted to stay or go back to Arizona once all this was finished. But now it wasn't the time for her to be thinking of this…_

 _They were eating about some minutes now. Tougou managed to relax himself a little and was having a normal conversation with Julia. They talked about everything except the upcoming war. Julia, at first, was ready to ask him about something that had to do with Lars' behavior, she had found unusual but if it was maybe because of his duties, she would have to save it for later, since they decided to just spend a normal outing. In the end, she kept it to herself and maybe she would ask Lars in person…_

" _So, that's why you decided to enter the Tekken Force."_

" _Yeah…With three women at home and a nephew, I had to do my best as for them to live comfortably."_

 _Julia frowned as she watched Tougou looking at his empty now plate. He was risking his life for his family to live with no economic problems. She respected him for that. Who knows what his true dreams were?_

" _Tougou?"_

" _Yes?" he said as he looked at her…_

" _I'm sorry for asking you…"_

 _He waved his hands, dismissing her… "It's ok! It's not like I'm obliged in doing this. I like protecting my country. My family and the people, who are…important to me."_

" _Makes sense…I wish, I had some of your courage…"_

 _He raised questionably his eyebrow at her last response, since, he knew that Julia Chang was a girl, who didn't depend on anyone and preferred to do things on her own. She's done so many things by herself. Tougou didn't know a woman more courageous than her. He watched her face expression and how it changed. Sure, daily life changes people as it passes. He changed…And…Mostly, Lars Alexandersson._

 _Tougou sometimes had to do his best to make him entertain a little himself or at least convince him to have a drink with him like they used to do while they were still recruits. However, he started losing hope as he witnessed him being completely absorbed in dealing with Kazuya Mishima. Did Lars forget his true motives? Wasn't he doing that to protect the innocent and finally make reality his wish of a new era? Did he decide, in the end, to face Kazuya as his brother and not as the threat? In the end, however, Tougou was always dismissing these thoughts from his head. He knew that when the time would come, Lars would do the right thing. Until then, he just needed to support him._

 _The last thing he wanted, on the other hand, was for Julia to change. That would be so unfair to her. Maybe, he wouldn't be able to see her and if he would ever be confident enough to confess to her but at least she would be safe and most importantly…the girl he loved…_

 _Tougou sighed and she looked at him…_

" _Julia…You say some weird stuff. I haven't met any other woman more courageous than you."_

 _She blushed slightly at this and her inner self noticed this as well. So embarrassing, she thought…_

 _She placed her hand under her chin and said with a smile…_

" _You sure? What about Nina Williams? That woman doesn't even think of not completing even the most dangerous mission."_

" _That woman? Courageous? Nina Williams is a person with no interests. Why for her to show courage? Courage comes from the heart. She's an assassin. A killing machine. It's as you said. She doesn't even think of it because she's just a weapon."_

" _You're a little cruel…I think…"_

" _You're a smart woman, Julia. Wanna bet? That woman won't even care of what I just said right now. She would probably agree as well."_

" _I mean…"_

 _Tougou smiled… "I like that about you…Trying to find even the slightest good in people. At least, at those, who are not hopeless, so please, drop Nina Williams' case."_

 _The woman didn't say anything back. Maybe, Tougou was right. But still, Julia Chang wanted to believe that all people, who Tougou called hopeless, had a good side in them…_

 _Suddenly, his cellphone was heard and he cursed in the inside, since he forgot to turn it off. He couldn't ignore it now. Julia would be confused._

" _Tougou? Your cell is ringing."_

 _He nodded… "I'll take it, Julia."_

 _He rolled his eyes when he noticed who was calling him. That guy! Wasn't he supposed to go and eat with that girl?_

" _Such of a timing you have there, Lars!" He thought…_

 _They talked for some seconds and he turned it off. Tougou sighed and Julia looked concerned at him._

 _He raised his gaze and said to her…_

" _My apologies, Julia…But the boss is starting to give orders again."_

 _She smiled noticing Tougou's annoyance… "I see…Now that you're mentioning this, is been a long time since he asked for you to go and see him and not you going by yourself."_

" _Yeah…Maybe, something serious must have happened."_

" _Now you're worrying me."_

" _Relax! I'll do my best to solve it."_

 _Julia giggled… "I believe in you!" she said with a smile, while looking inside his eyes._

 _Tougou's breath stopped for a second. That girl didn't know how her words infected him. He knew her attraction to Lars but in the end he couldn't stop hoping…_

 _The two stood up and made their way back to the Mishima Zaibatsu…_

 **Now…**

Lars Alexandersson looked at his friend and witnessed his face expression. His face was showing that he appeared in front of him exactly like anyone would do when he would be on duty. He found it weird. Well, he noticed the big, depressed sigh Tougou let out while he was talking with him. What could have happened?

"Tougou? Is everything ok?"

The blacked haired man nodded in an instant. Explaining further would be a problem, even though he knew that Lars noticed that something wasn't in its place with him. He was sure that he was going to start bugging him about that but he was just very pissed. Why did he have to call at that time of all's? As noticed he wasn't even trying to hide any of his feelings. In any other case, he could do it but on the matter of the subject of his affections, aka Julia Chang, he found it quite difficult. Who would blame him? You can't foresee such a thing as love, can you? If anyone could, he or she should have told the rest how to do the same.

Lars, of course, wasn't convinced. As Tougou knew how to read him, he did the same with him. Lars' gaze fell on Julia, who in contrast to his friend seemed normal. He understood now. He wasn't sure but he started thinking that possibly his friend was beginning to be fond of Julia. Maybe more than just being "fond of" her. He was happy that Tougou decided to finally want to be with someone but, honestly, he didn't have the best timing. Lars thought of this only for a moment, soon, he decided that he was going to support him to the fullest. If they had a future together or not…

"What happened, Lars? You sounded different on the phone." Said Tougou…

The blond man heard his friend's voice and looked at him. Tougou raised an eyebrow. Why did he look at him so confused?

"Uh…Yeah…Something is going to happen."

"What thing?" he said as he crossed his arms…

Lars motioned for Tougou to come closer and he did, even though he was completely confused. Why all that secrecy from him? For a moment, Lars looked back to Alisa and saw her clueless expression and then at Julia, who understood what this gaze of his meant. She cleared her throat and that made Tougou turn to face her as well…

"Are you going to need me anything else for the day, Lars?"

"I…I don't think I'm going to need you but…there could always be an emergency."

Julia smiled at them…

"It's not like I'm leaving the Zaibatsu. I want to study at the lab. Just the next building to this."

"Oh…I get it. Do as you wish."

The young woman nodded and then turned to Alisa.

"Alisa? I might need your help. Want to join me?"

Alisa looked at her and for a moment at Lars' place, who gave her a small nod. She turned back and looked at Julia…

"Sure! I'll do my best!" she said and watched Julia's smile…

The browned haired girl walked to the door and Alisa followed her. The first looked back for a moment and said…

"See you later…And thanks, Tougou, for today."

Tougou smiled slightly and Lars gave him a look like "what did you do to her?", but he let it slide for the time being. He was going to come back to this later and Tougou knew that he was thinking exactly that right now. He understood perfectly his friend's expression.

 **At the same time…**

 **Osaka, Mishima Zaibatsu Second Military Base…**

The soldiers were training this time in hand to hand combat. There was an incredible progress in contrast to how they used to be. A certain someone was boasting all the time about it. Be it to his soldiers, his superiors or even to himself. He was spouting several bullshit, when he was looking at himself in the mirror…Oh yeah! He was a big narcissist, too…like ones such as, "You're the best, man!" or "The world should be kneeling in front of my greatness!" and etc.

He had a big grin on his face as he was watching them. Deep down, he felt proud of them, as well. But anyway, it was all thanks to him. No one could dare to argue with him on that. Or at least no one…

The soldiers were split in pairs. Women with women, the same with men but there were some cases that it would be a man and a woman. Everyone was using the same fighting technics except from two certain women…

"That was so cheap! How dare you call yourself a fighter?" said one of them as she was rubbing her shoulder being down on the ground…

Asuka Kazama, after letting a big disappointed sigh, smiled at herself and the sneered at her…

"You continue keeping me behind. What the hell? We have already had a lot of fights together and you still can't even manage to block my most common attacks? Geez, I wasn't even trying…Such a waste of time."

"That's right." Said a male voice from behind them… "A waste of MY time, you two!"

"Hwo…I mean…Sir!" she said and saluted. The same happened with the other woman as she pulled herself up.

"What are you doing? I thought you have made the wanting progress I wished for."

Asuka nodded having her arms crossed under her chest. She turned to her partner and said…

"See? Even the Captain is scolding you."

"You have it wrong there, Kazama." He said after letting a sigh. He knew what it was going to follow after today's session and to his room at night…

Asuka continued visiting him all nights, well almost all of them, because she didn't want to give the wrong impression, especially at the irritating woman beside her, who she already had her suspicions. They weren't having very serious talks. It was something like a hanging out thing. Being together in the same room…just that, however…Hwoarang never made the terrible mistake such as letting his guard down by letting her touch him. Asuka was thinking of it differently in contrast to him. At least he believed so. In other words, he was afraid of letting **himself** touch her. That would be the worst thing he could do in this time period. Whenever, he could catch himself thinking about that, for a moment he could understand even Jin Kazama. Hwoarang was the only one, who figured and eventually found out by the person himself that this man was already in love with the girl he asked him to keep an eye on. But now? That he was in the same situation and not to mention way worse because there were two girls? He didn't have anyone to ask him to protect Asuka Kazama, who was his bigger problem. He wasn't even sure, if the girl he was supposed to look after was safe. No, no…Xiaoyu was surely safe. That girl was much more stubborn than any person he knew. After releasing this thought he was coming back to his first "problem". In the end, that "problem" was always on standby. Sometimes he could catch himself not thinking of her as a "problem" but as…something different. And then, there was Lili, who was as reckless as the other one but for an unknown reason, she seemed stronger to him than Asuka did. Hwoarang was thinking that this girl might seem stuck up and spoiled but she had inner strength and motivation in everything she did. He respected her for that…

"You mean? Sir?" she asked with an obvious annoyance in her voice…

"I mean that you're not supposed to use your karate stuff…"

"It's not "just" Karate!" she said interrupting him…

"Whatever it is. The last thing I care about is the name of your lame fighting style and YOU!" said Hwoarang as he turned to face Lili…

The young girl pointed at herself and he nodded… "Yes, Rochefort, those gymnastics or whatever they are, I don't want to see you using them again, ok?"

"Huh?!" they said in unison but Hwoarang ignored them…

"On our subject now. I don't care what you do outside this place but inside here you do as I say. That means fighting with what I taught you."

The girl was ready to say something but regretted it at the last minute. She would let it be this time. There was always a _later_ when it came to those two. She knew that Hwoarang was aware about what was going to happen tonight. On the other hand, Lili Rochefort had no reason to let him go…

"I don't understand, Sir! What's the problem in us using our fighting styles? Since you're a talented fighter as well, I thought you could understand us. Is it really that bad?" said the blonde girl faking a sad face expression…

" _T-That witch…What is she trying to do?"_ thought Asuka as she was watching Lili approaching Hwoarang with her "hurt" expression…

Hwoarang noticed that Lili was very close to his face this time and watched as her pink colored lips curved upwards revealing a small smile…

" _S-She's tall…She's almost the same as me._ What's your thing? Your "hurt" expression doesn't work on me. I'm not your beloved Master Lars." He said and she made a step back. Lili turned to face her rival, who just shrugged her shoulders in a way like she was telling her "I told you so".

Hwoarang noticed that when these two weren't arguing, they were making fun of the other soldiers or they were drooling over the new CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu aka Lars Alexandersson. Lili walked to Asuka's side and stood next to her. They saw Hwoarang walking to their place and he touched lightly their heads. The two girls looked at each other confused and heard him saying…

"So, be my two nice girls and do as I taught you, ok?" after that he gave a smile revealing, for the first time, to them his perfect white shaped teeth…

" _So b-bright!"_ the two girls thought…

Asuka gave him a nod and then turned to face Lili, who was still looking blushed at him, until she felt Asuka's slap on the back of her head. She shot a murderous glare towards her rival and then bowed to Hwoarang as well. After making sure he left, she turned her head and said…

"Why did you hit me?"

"I'm gonna hit you again! What do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me? What did I do?" asked Lili and crossed her arms under her chest…

"Are you trying to hit on him?" said Asuka and crossed her arms as well…

Lili's eyes widened when she heard her. She looked at the ground and brought her hand on her mouth. Asuka looked confused at her. Was she right in the end? Why didn't she understand it sooner? As Lili raised her head, Asuka witnessed her flustered face…

"So? I'm right, aren't I?"

"W-Well…I…HAHAHAHA!" Lili couldn't hold it anymore. At first she wanted to mess around with her but it was just so hilarious…

" _That's gonna be lots of fun!"_ thought Lili as her rival was looking clueless at her side…

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Laboratory…**

 **Two hours later…**

Julia Chang used once more Alisa's assistance. She was a very curious young woman. Well, with the good meaning of this word. With what she was having in front of her, she had a lot of evidence to accuse the Mishima Zaibatsu and destroy it once and for all but now with Lars, things were much more different. Julia doubted the fact that the new CEO knew that the Zaibatsu had made so much experiments. Well, some of them were known to everyone but all these. So much…However, a certain one caught her attention. She was aware of the reason the Williams sisters remained young. Dr. Bosconovitch was once again responsible. Not exactly that. However, Julia believed that he was 99% forced to do this. The other 1% could be a scientist's curiosity but she didn't believe that this man would do such a cruel thing by experimenting on humans just to fulfill his ego as a genius. He was surely under the pressure of Heihachi or Kazuya and later Jin.

She was double checking the information she had in front of her and couldn't believe her eyes. Did that really happen? Did these two know about it? Maybe, they did…Or she was sure that the first party did. After all, Nina Williams was a member of the Zaibatsu for some years now. But did the man know? And what did Nina do when she learnt about it? She probably didn't even think about it. That's so cruel…thought Julia. For a woman to not have her permission to do that to her and for an innocent child, who was only born to be a test subject and without, even, his mother's love.

The woman was completely absorbed in her thoughts. Alisa, at first, tried to say something but she didn't take her attention. For a moment she felt worried. Maybe, she shouldn't have helped her with finding these files. It brought bad memories to her as well.

Alisa brought her hand to Julia's shoulder and this time the young woman startled looked back at her…

"A-Alisa?"

She removed her hand from Julia's shoulder since she didn't want to seem rude and she watched her as she did that…

"I'm sorry!" she said and bowed in front of Julia…

The girl stood up from the chair and took off her glasses placing them on the desk. She looked at her and lowered her body to find Alisa's green worried eyes…

"What are you apologizing for? Huh?"

Alisa tightened her fists and said after taking the "big" decision to meet Julia's eyes…

"For disturbing you…Umm…It seemed that you were thinking very seriously about something and I…"

Julia smiled and caressed her pink hair… "Don't think too much of it. Indeed, I spaced out but what I was thinking had nothing to do with me or our job here."

"Umm…well…I…"

She sighed and said… "Would it be easier for you, if I say that I forgive you?"

Alisa bit her lips and gave her a small nod. Julia crossed her arms under her chest and closed her eyes…

"I see…I forgive you, then…Is that ok with you?"

"It was silly of me but indeed it makes me feel much better."

Julia started tiding up the room by placing correctly the files on the shelves, while Alisa was watching her…

"Miss Chang?" said Alisa almost in a whisper…

"Yes?" she answered as she continued placing the files…

"I think that the time is coming."

This time she looked at her. What was this all of a sudden?

"What do you mean? We knew that…So?"

"Hwoarang-senpai is going to send a fax to Lars-senpai."

"And?"

Alisa looked at Julia, who was looking questionably at her… "My apologies! Forget what I said. I have to go. Excuse me!"

"A-Alisa?!" Julia called out for her but she had already disappeared. Something must have happened only Alisa knew about it. She decided not to pressure her and wasn't going to pursue the subject when she was going to meet her again.

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters, Lars' office…**

Lars Alexandersson had explained everything to his best friend. He told him everything he learnt and how they were supposed to move from now on. He, as well, told him that Hwoarang was going to send the report today. Tougou was confused as to how Lars managed to have this information. Then, he thought that Lars referred to it as his secret sources, so he didn't ask him because he wasn't going to answer him. If he was supposed to tell him, he would have already done it…

"As I guess, we should be prepared for tomorrow, right? When is he sending them? Or isn't he?" asked Tougou…

"He does. I guess he's sending me the list with their names."

"That's something he could do with me. Why you personally? It's not one of your duties."

Lars sighed… "You remember that guy asking what my duties are, do you? With the kind of person he is, I wouldn't be surprised if he asked me to go and buy him cigarettes."

"You have a point" said Tougou as he stood up…

"Can't believe why Alisa likes him so much?"

He placed his cell phone inside his pocket and said…

"Am I noticing jealousy?"

"Hehe…Not really...I'm glad Alisa's having more people to like and like her. Who knows if I'll be able to be always by her side?"

"That depends on you." Said the black haired man as he turned to leave… "When you get that fax, let me know, ok? I need to make preparations."

Lars nodded and gave him a small smile. Without even Lars realizing it, the door closed and now he was alone inside his big office. All of a sudden, he could hear the clock counting the seconds with the characteristic "tik-tok". His employees as they were chatting with each other. If someone was to enter the Mishima Zaibatsu as Lars changed it, it would seem like a completely normal company. But all this normalness existed until entering his office…

Lars rested his back on his chair. He remembered what he said and what Tougou answered him. He was happy for Alisa and what he was feeling was definitely not jealousy. It was something like "how was Alisa going to feel if something bad was to happen to him?" or "is Hwoarang going to replace him that way in her heart?". Suddenly, the door opened and Alisa appeared in front of him with a worried look on her face…

"Lars-senpai!"

"What's wrong? Are you ok? You seem worried."

Alisa smiled after thinking that unknowingly she was wearing this kind of expression. Julia Chang probably felt the same way. She closed the door behind her and walked inside to Lars' place.

"So?"

She waved her hands and bowed to him…

"Oh nothing…I was just curious, if Hwoarang-senpai sent you that fax."

Lars nodded…

"I see…And no, he didn't, if he's punctual he will send it in about…" Lars looked at his wristwatch and then back at her… "now!" and he smiled…

And indeed, the same time Hwoarang sent him the fax. In some seconds, Lars had it in his hands. He took a brief look of it first and then looked at the girl in front of him…

"Who would have guessed? He's punctual enough." He said and Alisa nodded…

"Why don't you sit down, Alisa?"

The girl nodded and did as he asked her… "Umm…sure…Thank you!"

He started reading it carefully. So…He was ready. For a minute, he wondered when that man would consider he's ready but, ok…He seemed serious and Tougou was telling him about the good job Hwoarang was doing back there. Lars trusted every word Tougou was telling him, of course. After reading it, he looked at Alisa and said…

"Do you have any idea where Nina is?"

"Don't you remember? Today she had to go to Osaka. That's why I found it confusing by you receiving a fax and not a complete report from her after she comes back."

"You're right…I'm so out of my league these days. Whatever…give me a moment, Alisa." He said and took his cell in his hands. He dialed Tougou's phone number and waited for him to answer…

 **Osaka, Mishima Zaibatsu Second Military Base…**

The soldiers started gathering in their rooms. They needed to have a rest after the exhausting practice. Hwoarang was going even harder on them these last few weeks because he wanted to send his best soldiers to Lars. Without even thinking about it, he wrote down the list with the names and sent it with a fax to the Mishima Zaibatsu. If he was to delay it any further, the big boss would start bitching and unfortunately for Hwoarang, he would be right…

He sighed as he sent the list. He was finished with that. All he had to do now was to wait his orders. He walked outside the office and locked the door behind him. He looked around him and saw as expected the girl, who was going to be a pain in the ass for the following hours. He looked at her and she crossed her arms.

"Are you stalking me?" he said as he started walking to her place…

"What? I'm here to deal with you once and for all."

He raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about? Well, everything was possible with her. Asuka noticed his clueless expression and said pointing her finger at him…

"Don't act like you don't understand!"

"Huh? First, I really don't get you and secondly where did you leave Rochefort? I thought I asked you to do something." he said uninterested since for now he didn't care…

"That was hours ago…such a Captain you are, huh?"

The man didn't have the patience to start an argument with her, at least now. Her irritated expression changed as she saw his restless one. She forgot her own problem with him and wondered about what have happened. The last few days she noticed that he was anxious about something. She wanted to ask what was wrong with him but he was always keeping some distance between them. Asuka was telling him everything and he was listening to her, even asking her to tell him why she did that thing or the other back then. It was around these days that she realized that Hwoarang never told her anything else about himself after that night…

Hwoarang tried to walk passed her but she stopped him by catching his arm…

"What are you doing?" he said…

Asuka released him as he felt her hand caressing gently his arm until she came to touch his hand…

" . ?" he said again taking his hand away from hers…

A frown appeared above her eyes and his heart "stopped" as he witnessed her hurt expression. It was true that she trusted him fully. He knew that and he had to do something as to end this thing between them. It was wrong from the very beginning. However, in the end, he couldn't do anything…

"That's my line, you jerk!" she said as she pulled herself together. She watched as his expression changed into an irritated one. That was good, she thought.

"Not only you scold me for reasons unknown but you, also, keep ignoring me. Why not blondie as well? Don't you see us the same way? You thought I would let you go away with that? Definitely not!"

He sighed… "Fine! Tell me…What do you want?"

"Is my name written on the list?"

"L-List?" he almost whispered it… "What kind of list?"

"Are you shitting me?! As it seems your underlings don't seem to understand what means to be in the army. The fact that Lars Alexandersson wants soldiers from our base is known to everyone here."

"So what?" he said taking his gaze away from hers…

"Tell me, please…Is my name…Did you write my name on the list? I need to know. Rochefort wondered the same thing."

At first he didn't say anything but as he saw the expectation pictured in her face, he asked her…

"Do you want that badly for your name to be written?"

"What's with this question? Of course, I want! That's the reason I came here anyway."

"That means that nothing has changed inside you?"

"Like…what?" she asked him confused…

What the hell? He thought. Why was he asking her that? Was he hoping for a confession? Everyone from his words would guess that he asked for that reason. What a stupid thing to do? He opened his mouth as to say something…

"I...I was…"

"The uniform suits you, Captain." A voice interrupted their conversation and Hwoarang was indebted to it…That was it until he saw the person, who had this voice…

They turned their heads. Asuka didn't do anything. That person seemed like she had seen her somewhere but she wasn't sure how to react. She turned to Hwoarang and saw his eyes. He knew her and maybe she did, too. However, she couldn't recall her name right now. She turned her head to face him and noticed that he wasn't particularly happy with that woman's arrival…

"Why are you here? I sent the report. Didn't your boss tell you?"

Nina Williams stood there, in front of them. She had heard them talking for a while now. She wouldn't care in other case but this girl seemed familiar. However, she didn't think much about it and made her way to talk to him…

"Oh! He did tell me. Don't worry about it." She said as she started walking to their place…

She noticed as the young girl was eyeing her suspiciously. She then looked at Hwoarang, who was having a worried look on his face…

"But we have to talk about something." She looked to Asuka's side and the girl felt her unwelcomed stare as she frowned… "Alone, if possible." Said Nina once again…

He looked at the two and then only at the blonde woman. He nodded and said…

"Understood…Just give me a moment."

She nodded and watched as he took Asuka by the arm leading her some meters away…

…

"Let me go!" she said angrily. How did he dare to grab her with such force? He released her and said…

"You have to go for now. Come to my…"

"Who is she? Tell me! How is she allowed here? Did you know she was coming? Were you the one, who asked her to come?" she said interrupting him…

He sighed as he listened to her. It was like they were having a lover's quarrel, if only he didn't know of her nosy personality…

"I don't have time now. I want her to leave as soon as possible, too. So, make me this favor and then I'll tell you everything." He said and touched her shoulders…

"…Whatever…Make sure to get rid of her and then tell me."

Hwoarang nodded and watched as she gave a last glanced at Nina. He sighed and walked back to the blonde woman.

"Follow me…" he said and they started walking to his office…

…

Asuka Kazama clenching her fists walked away until Lili appeared in front of her. She had her arms crossed and was looking disappointed at her. The brunette raised an eyebrow at her weird behavior…

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lili's eyes widened. How dare she not understand?

The blonde girl after finishing with her shower took notice of Asuka Kazama walking away. Of course, she was curious as to where she was going but she immediately made a guess. She was going to go to him as always. That blockhead Asuka Kazama believed that no one took notice of her sneaking at night to go and visit Hwoarang. Well, probably the others didn't notice but she surely did. If it was back then, when they would meet only to fight, she wouldn't let her have her private time with the guy she liked. But now that they shared the same room and started witnessing each other's different side, she felt slightly more compassionate towards her rival. Lili Rochefort realized something while she was staying with Asuka. That girl was becoming weird. Always on alert, confused and tensed. If she was to ask her, she wouldn't admit it or, indeed, wouldn't have noticed that she was acting like that. Could it be that Hwoarang has realized the same thing? When would she find the chance to ask him?

"Yo, Earth to Princess of Monaco!"

Lili shook her head and said… "What do you think you're doing? Why did you leave them alone? And especially with that hateful woman."

"You know that woman?!" she asked her surprised…

The younger girl rolled her eyes and sighed at her rival's cluelessness… "Who doesn't? She's Nina Williams."

"Where have I heard that name?" she placed a finger under her chin…

"I just told you her name!" Lili shouted irritated…

Asuka nodded… "And what's her deal?"

"She's an assassin…One of the best as I found out from my sources."

"And what does she want with "our him"?"

"After Jin Kazama claimed the Mishima Zaibatsu, he hired that pest to be his right hand. Even from that, someone could guess what kind of detestable man, he was."

"I see…that means that Lars Alexandersson didn't bother in firing her."

"Exactly" Lili said and nodded… "Master Lars acted wisely. It's better to have this despicable thing on your side than having her around fearing if she's going to ambush you."

Asuka gave her an ironic smile… "As I guess you don't think too…how to say it…well of her."

"Finally…you realized it…"

"What did she do to you?" asked the shorter woman showing genuine concern to her rival's story…

Lili's lips turned downwards and a saddened frown appeared on her pretty face…

 **In the same time, inside Hwoarang's office…**

They entered the office and he walked to sit on his seat after seeing Nina sitting on the chair opposite his office. He wrapped his hair in a low ponytail and said…

"Now it's the two of us. What is it?"

"At first I was coming to check on how the practice was going. That's what he asked me to do but then, you sent the report, while I was on my way here."

"And? You could always go back."

"Lars said that you have to come tomorrow as well. If our hero hasn't already told you, we don't know when we'll leave but we must always be ready."

His eyes widened as he heard that he needed to go too…

"I can't do that!" he snapped and stood up unconsciously…

She crossed her legs and stared at him for some seconds. So it was like that. It surely had to do with that girl back there…

"You…can't? Aren't you the captain? Your soldiers need you."

Hwoarang realized what he just said. He couldn't help it. After hearing that from Nina's mouth, a picture of Asuka and Lili being alone here entered his mind and that thought created that reaction. And in front of Nina Williams…That was the worst. If it was Lars Alexandersson, he knew that he wouldn't make fun of him or even Tougou. However, he saw as she was just looking at him. On the other hand, Nina Williams was the person, who didn't care for anyone…only her mission. Everyone knew that. He relaxed his face and looked at her…

"You're right…I will be there…But how come? I mean, he only needed me to train them and it's not like, he's making his final move. If it was like that I wouldn't even question it. As I understood, you're just gonna check out the place, right?"

The woman stared at him for a second. At first, she believed that he would be excited, thinking that he could finally have his revenge. Why was he hesitating now? Her instinct told her that it had to do with the scene she witnessed a while ago between him and that young girl. Could he have fallen for her? She hoped not. It wasn't like, she cared, but if he was to quit the mission, Lars would have to plan everything again. He would keep them behind. The last thing she wanted was that…

"True but you never know with Kazuya, am I right?"

He didn't answer because he had to agree with her. He tightened his right grip and felt the slight pain his fingers caused to his palm…

"So? What time should we be waiting for you, captain? And be sure to encourage your soldiers well, ok?"

He sighed and looked at her annoyed… "Keep your lame humor for your sister. And is that all you wanted? You're delaying my practice."

Nina nodded and stood up…

"Well, not really but Lars can explain further. You will see him tomorrow, anyway."

Hwoarang stood up as well and saw as Nina opened the door. She stopped for a second and turned her head to look at him…

"Want some advice?" she said…

The man knew with what this advice had to do and he completely wasn't in the mood to be advised by the likes of a woman like the one in front of him…

"No, thanks." He said making his way to the small fridge inside the office…

Nina smiled and said… "As you wish"

This time the door in front of him closed and he sighed…What was he going to do now? That was way too sudden. He wasn't even prepared himself, how was he going to explain this situation to Asuka? And then there was Lili, who was even pushier than the other…Oh hell! He thought…

…

Nina Williams walked outside Hwoarang's office. She opened her cellphone and dialed Lars' phone number. While she was waiting for his reply, she noticed the short browned haired girl entering his office. She nodded to herself. She couldn't be more right than that. That time Lars answered her call…

"It's me…Yeah, I did…Everything's fine here…I told him that…You really need to talk to that guy about something or else he's gonna screw up everything. He's distracted by something and it surely can affect our mission...Yes. Call him."

After the conversation she had with Lars, Nina closed her phone and smiled slightly. She turned her body slowly, as she sensed a presence, and said…

"Could it be that you want something with me?"

Lili Rochefort made some steps closer to that woman in front of her. She frowned as she saw her mocking smile. _"So audacious!"_ she thought…

When Asuka asked her what did Nina do to her, her eyes got teary as she remembered the pain both her and her father went through. Why did that happen? Her mother was a very quiet person, who never provoked anyone. She was so beautiful and peaceful. That was what brought her parents together…They both hated violence. The fourteen year old back then Lili was asking her father to tell her why was her mother murdered but he didn't wish to tell her. She was watching him as he was crying endless hours by himself. That was when she decided to be the nicest daughter and always please him, because she wanted him to smile again. When she became sixteen, her father decided to tell her that she was murdered because of him. Lili comforted him and told him that she will always be next to him. She remembered the kiss he gave her on the top of her head that day…

"I don't have much time and even more patience. Say what you want or else beat it."

Lili smiled. She approached Nina and made eye contact with the shorter woman… "After I stop assisting Master Lars, be sure that you would be considered my enemy. An enemy that's going to be eliminated."

Nina raised an eyebrow. She was ready to laugh at the young girl's "determent" face but tried to hold it in…

"Your enemy…Are you honestly sure that you want to do that?" said Nina and crossed her arms…

"Tsk…Don't underestimate a Monegasque! You're going to pay for what you did to me and my father." Said Lili as she placed her right hand on her chest…

She rolled her eyes. The woman had no idea what this obnoxious girl was talking about… "Before I completely lose my patience, state your busyness."

The young blonde girl giggled… "Hehe…It would be unpleasant to see an old auntie getting mad, so I'll take my leave. **But** be sure that I'll be watching you and mark my words…" Lili bowed and said once again "Farewell!"

With that comment Lili turned her back at her and walked away…However, she noticed the pain her nails were causing to her palms, since she didn't realize how much she had tightened her grips because of her meeting with her mother's murderer…

 **Inside Hwoarang's office…**

Asuka Kazama walked inside the young man's office without even knocking and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her…

"So shameless! What are you doing here naked?" she said as she was covering her eyes…

Hwoarang sighed as he squeezed his white T-shirt with his hands with drops of beer falling on the white floor…

"You're the shameless one, entering my office without my permission."

He placed the T-shirt on the chair's back and wore his uniform's jacket. He was hot back then and took it off, but a minute after Nina left, he opened the small fridge to get something to drink. When he tried to open the beer, his hands loosened around the can and the outcome was some beer being split on his shirt and the can falling on the ground.

"Take your hands of your eyes, I'm dressed and not to mention that you were cheating. You sure are a pervert, aren't you?"

She took her hands away of her flushed face and said as she threw him one of the black couch's pillows. Hwoarang caught it on time and said…

"What are you doing?"

"Who are you calling a pervert? Anyway, forget about that. Tell me, what did she want?"

He sighed and that worried her. What happened? His face was something new for her. She hadn't seen him like that before…

"You see…"

Suddenly, his phone rang and he cursed under his breath. What timing? He looked at the caller and saw Lars' name. He sighed and picked it up…

"What is it, Alexandersson?"

Asuka smiled as she realized that Hwoarang was talking with the man she wanted to fight alongside him…

"Yeah, she said that…There's nothing wrong with me, she just tries to make a problem out of nowhere…And I'll be there, ok?...Satisfied? "

Hwoarang dropped the call irritated. That woman completely saw right through him and told everything to Lars. He guessed she would do that. The last thing Nina Williams wanted was a failed mission. If it wasn't for such an important reason from his side and everyone's, he would do definitely everything he could just to make her fail. Childish but she was completely annoying and hateful to him. Some people shared the same idea as he did. He thought the same way for the other Williams as well. Both sisters were involving themselves with the Mishimas just because of their rivalry. He doubted the fact of them remembering the cause of it. Stupid women…And then people were calling Ling Xiaoyu childish and immature. Who knows maybe they would think the same of Asuka and Lili, as well? And that because they weren't thinking as they do and don't have the same "hobbies" as they did. He was sure that this was how they would think of other women, who "had a life"…As you guessed, inside his mind, Nina was a bitch and Anna, who was less disliked, a little less than a bitch. He didn't have a word to describe her…

After thinking of how much this woman was annoying to him, he didn't realize as Asuka Kazama was looking at him. He raised his eyebrows…

"What's with the look?" he asked her…

"What did he say? Lars Alexandersson I mean." She said, as she approached him. Close enough to his face.

He sighed. Of course, it was about this man. Asuka Kazama had made it completely obvious that she was a fan of his. Well, not like the ones, who wanted to approach him with ulterior motives. She only respected him. That angered him somehow. She looked up to a man, who she didn't even know and she was treating the man, who was so nice, that's something questionable, and very patient with her, that's indeed true, like crap. That was how Hwoarang was feeling when she had that kind of look on her face for another man. In all cases, it was either Lars or Tougou. He didn't have the best opinion on any of them. Guys, who thought they knew everything. Pain and loss. Better come and ask him. Hwoarang, despite his character, went through a lot in the past. Seeing his sister being murdered in front of his eyes and then, learning that his beloved master was missing, created a big wound inside him. He knew that any of these were his mistakes and so he could continue his life without any guilt but everything changed when Baek died two years ago. That, yeah…That was his mistake…

"Yo! Hey?" she said trying to get his attention as she started waving her hand in front of his face…

He shook his head and blinked his eyes. That brought him back. He looked at her and this time her face showed him the concern and worry she directed towards him…

"Are you ok?"

He didn't say anything and trying to distract himself, he took out his cigarettes. Suddenly, she stopped him as she grasped the white little box from his hand…

"Come on…Seriously, now…What did he say? I'm worried about _you_." She said as she set the box on the desk and touched his arm.

Just a word of hers managed to change completely the way he was going to deal with the issue concerning her. It was so difficult…

He smiled at her as he touched her hand on top of his arm. She looked at his hand on top of hers and then at his smiling face…

"You don't need to worry about _me_. And about what you wanted to know…Umm…About that list…You see…"

"Forget about the list. Now we're talking about you." She interrupted him… "And not to mention, that we surely weren't on it." She mumbled…

He was taken aback from what she said. She really figured it out, huh? So, she wasn't that dumb. However, he had an idea about where she's going to be completely clueless. Maybe, that would be for the best, he added in the back of his mind, something that didn't know if it was a bad or good thing. He removed his hand from hers and she did the same by removing her hand from his arm. He sat on his seat and watched as she stood still in front of him…

"Aren't you gonna sit?" he said as he showed her the chair…

"I don't want to!"

"Don't even on my lap?" he said with a teasing smile on his face as he pointed on his lap.

She blushed heavily as she imagined the scene. Back in her head she knew that it wouldn't be bad but in reality she knew that he was just messing with her. She pinched his cheeks with her fingers and started stretching them causing him an annoying pain.

"I'll rip that grin of your face, asshole!"

She did this for about four times, while he was trying to remove her hands, but in the end she let him go and said…

"Stop fucking around with me. You seem out of it. Why? It's not like you. Wouldn't you say that it's none of my busyness and humiliate me once again, in front of whatever jerk, like you would always do, when having the chance?"

Hwoarang couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was her opinion and how she thought of him?

"That's how you think of me?"

"Then tell me, how should I think of you? You always confuse me. One day, you'll be nice, the next like you completely forgot about me, you act like I'm just another soldier. And I don't mean in practice! You know what I'm saying!"

He nodded… "I'm sorry…"

"Huh? You…S-Sorry?" she mumbled confused…

"Asuka Kazama?" he said and looked in her eyes, which were eyeing him intensely as always…

"What?"

He sighed and extended his hand to touch hers…

"Will you stand by my side?"

HUH?! That was how Asuka Kazama reacted in the inside. Stand by his side? What the hell? Was he drunk? Possible… High? She doubted it… An idiot? Completely… Messing with her? Bingo!

"What do you mean?" she managed to say, choosing not to strangle him…

"As you have noticed these last months, we don't have the relationship a commander would have with his soldier."

She crossed her arms under her chest. She knew that what he was saying had to do with this woman or Lars Alexandersson. What was the serious deal that made him act like that? That kind of atmosphere between them was awkward to her. Seeing her confused expression, he stood up and smiled…

"Hehe…Amazing!"

Her eyes widened as she saw him laughing like nothing have happened. "What's your thing exactly?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

She felt a hint of blush on her face. Was it of what he asked her by being on his side or the embarrassment she felt as she saw him laughing at her?

"You dare make fun of me?! What's with that "stand by my side" thing? Uh...What do you want from me in the end? A beat-up, maybe? I can grand you this wish!"

Hwoarang felt guilty and sad, since he wasn't honest with her. If he was to be, things would get complicated and he didn't want that for the both of them. He approached her and took her hands with his, only for her to shake them off. He sighed and looked at the ground…

"Forgive me…I just found completely lame what I said to you. What I meant was that I wanted…no want…I need your support."

"My…support?" she asked raising an eyebrow…

"That woman and now, Lars Alexandersson…They said that I must go with them."

"WHAT?!"

"Uh…yeah…I was surprised as well, to be honest, since he had actually asked me to just send him some soldiers, for now."

The girl sat down once again. She couldn't believe what he told her. It wasn't like she couldn't expect it, she just wasn't prepared mentally. Hwoarang touched her shoulder and she looked at him. A frown appeared above his eyes as he witnessed her hurt expression…

"I wish I didn't have to…I didn't expect it."

"Did you ask them why?"

He shook his head negatively… "For whatever reason I was here, I'm still part of the crew. They have every right to ask this from me."

She nodded. Of course, she was aware of it. But why now? She started to feel close to him and he did the same, she knew that… She didn't know what to do. Cry…Definitely not! At least, not in front of him. Ask him to not go? She couldn't possible do that? As she was thinking, she saw Hwoarang kneeling in front of her. He smiled and touched her hands…

"Don't worry…I'll come back, even if Alexandersson doesn't want me to. And relax, it's not like we're going to be there for a long time? Kazuya hasn't made his move, yet."

"Huh?! Are you and Lars Alexandersson waiting for a personal invitation from him?" she said angrily…

He sighed. Seriously, now, she was right. Suddenly, he thought of something and proceeded to take off the pendant he was having around his neck. He took it off and as he noticed her looking at him confused, he smiled and placed it inside her palms…

"Listen! This pendant completes my awesome fashion style, so I will definitely come to get it back, ok?"

She looked at it and tightened it in her grip… "I get it! Be sure, then, to come and take it back, since I'm a believer of the thing called "founder-keeper"."

He rolled his eyes and stood up… "I couldn't tell!" he said sarcastically with her kicking his leg…

"GAH! That hurt, you idiot!" he said holding his leg…

"Serves you right!" she said back with a mocking smile…

Hwoarang smiled at her and said again… "Can I ask something from you?"

"What thing?"

"When you finish with dinner, tell Rochefort to come to my room."

Asuka's eyes widened in surprise. What could he want with that idiot? Could it be that what he was saying to her, he would do the same with Lili? This "two-timer" shithead. Hwoarang noticed her confused expression and a hint of annoyance in her face…

"Asuka?"

The girl looked at him and scratched the back of her head. She walked to the door and said before leaving…

"After dinner…Rochefort to your room…Got it!" with that she left and Hwoarang smiled. She was so damn easy to read…

 **G-CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS, MAIN ENTRANCE…**

A blond handsome man was walking some meters away from the main entrance of G-Corporation. He started to regret the decision he took by giving them his aid. Well, the aid a single fighter, one of the best in the world by the way, could provide them with. However, even though it was known that Steve Fox had unfinished business with the Mishima Zaibatsu, that wouldn't mean that he would join Kazuya Mishima for this reason. A young woman approached him some months ago telling him about the information she got on him from the Mishima Zaibatsu's data files. Steve accepted them gladly and thanked her with her just asking from him something she needed to know. Leo Kliesen never accepted her mother's death. It was already difficult to deal with that of her father's, which she knew that it was an accident, in contrast to her mother's, who was murdered by "that" man. Leo noticed the scar on Steve's arm. Definitely, this was from him being a test subject and as she learnt by reading her mother's file inside the data, Emma Kliesen was fired because of this boy and the reason was a case of an unprofessional behavior. Yeah…That was so much like her dear mother. If she could, Leo knew that Emma would definitely adopt Steve…

The man heard everything from Emma's daughter. He couldn't have guessed that he was the reason she was fired. Maybe if she never talked to him or treat him like a normal child, she would still be alive. If that was to happen, this dear woman to him would still be working for the Zaibatsu and never have gone to G-Corporation. Steve promised to Leo that he would definitely avenge Emma. He remembered Leo's sigh and as she took her gaze away from him. It was one like she knew that this was impossible. But he was definitely going to prove her wrong…And find out the reason Emma Kliesen was murdered, as he promised to her daughter…

Steve thoughts were wavering between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G-Corporation. The first one fired Emma, and destroyed him, and the second one murdered her. After a lot of thinking he decided to destroy the enemy by weakening him and he knew that there would be a chance for him to get back at the Zaibatsu. Well, there was another reason he chose this option and that was…just a personal reason of his…

He stood there deep in his thoughts until some soldiers noticed him…

"Hey, you! You're not allowed to be here. Go away!" said one of them…

Steve sighed. The last thing he wanted was to be threatened by a mere soldier…

"That won't do, sorry man. I want to go inside. Let me in."

"You must have an appointment to enter and we're not informed of any visitors. Leave at once."

He pursed his lips. He needed to think of something. But what… Using his fists was a nice…well, not nice…just an idea, but then he remembered that they were holding guns. Damn…He touched his head… _Think Steve, think…_

A car's stopping sound was heard behind Steve. He didn't turn, that was because he was thinking. When thinking seriously, Steve Fox was completely out of the planet called Earth…

A soldier opened the back door of the car and Anna Williams walked outside of it. She looked around her and her eyes fell on the tall blue eyed young man. She inspected him for a moment and in the end felt irritated by the fact that she wasn't noticed. She crossed her arms under her chest and cleared her throat…

"What do we have here?" she said…

This time Steve released himself from his thoughts as he heard an unfamiliar female voice. He looked behind him and saw Anna's beautiful figure. Steve commented in his mind how pretty this woman was…but in the back of his head, he believed that he had seen her somewhere. Anna's eyes widened as she saw this man. These eyes…She definitely had seen them before…But she couldn't remember this man. He was extraordinarily handsome, so she would surely remember him. Being around Kazuya all this time made her remember all the handsome men she had met…Even Lars Alexandersson was one of them. She was completely dumbfounded when she heard from Kazuya that they were brothers. The Mishima family didn't have any member worth looking at but as it seemed there was one now…

"Who are you?"

Steve looked at her face and decided to be honest about what was his busyness here…

"Umm…I'll be honest with you, miss."

"Good boy…But be quick, alright?"

He nodded… "I want to assist you in defeating the Mishima Zaibatsu."

"Uh…"

"Wait! Believe me…I wouldn't even come here, if I wasn't sure of my abilities. I can aid you satisfactorily."

She sighed and approached him further… "What's your name? I'm not sure but I believe I'd seen you somewhere."

"Oh sure…I'm Steve Fox. I was a participant in the tournaments sponsored by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Maybe, accidentally, my file fell on your hands. I know G-Corp has access inside."

"No…It's not that…"

Anna didn't have a reason to let him continue talking to her. She had a lot of busyness already but this man in front of her, made her want to have him close. She felt something…He was definitely familiar…

"Anyway…You're lucky, I have some free time. Follow me!" she said and started walking inside as a soldier opened the gate for them…

"Thank you, miss!" he said with a smile and started following her…

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **With Steve entering the picture, we have the end of the introduction of the main characters. The real thing comes soon!**


	13. Chapter 12

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 12**

 **G- Corporation Headquarters…**

Anna Williams, as flashy as always, opened the main door inside the G-Corporation Headquarters' offices. There was a young handsome man following her. He was quite confused as he noticed that in the inside G-Corporation, at least the headquarters, seemed like any other company. He watched people being busy photocopying, talking on the phones or typing on their computers. All of them seemed miserable. Steve rolled his eyes. Who could have blamed them? They knew that on the top floor, Kazuya Mishima was making his evil plans and any other person would think that they could have been one of his possible victims. A pretty good reason for them to be terrified, right?

Could it be that Emma felt this way as well? Scared?

Thinking of that woman's fate and end made his blood boil. This, another Mishima, was going to be dead. He was going to make it happen with his own hands.

Anyway, Emma Kliesen was going to be avenged…

Without noticing it, Steve bumped onto Anna, who looked annoyed to him…

"Watch it!"

Steve gave her a small apologetic smile…

"My apologies…I…"

"Never mind" she said as she let out a sigh… "We're here, come in."

Anna pressed the button and the door opened. She walked inside first and Steve followed after her. For a moment, he turned to close the door but was startled as he watched it closing on its own. He nodded in the inside. He should have expected this kind of technology. And that last one wasn't his thing at all. What was he doing here in the end? He was going to definitely be kicked out. For now, however, the only thing he could do would be to impress this woman in front of him…

The brunette's office was looking more like a room than an office. She had the walls painted with a passionate red, roses were prettying her desk and aromatic candles were giving the last piece of a room full of romance. He looked around him and saw the toilette she had with a big amount of cosmetics, a coffee machine and a small bar with bottles full of wine. Really now, this room was everything but a work office but it made Anna feel comfortable and that was all that mattered…

"Do you like my office that much?" she said as she sat on her comfortable chair…

"Uh…well"

"Relax…What matters the most is for the owner to like the office. Outsiders shouldn't be asked for their opinion."

"You couldn't be more right than that, ma'am…" he said in uneasiness…

She crossed her legs and once again looked at Steve's light blue eyes. The eyes looked familiar but the gaze not. Realizing that she was lost in her thoughts, she cleared her throat and said…

"Let's get to the main issue now, shall we?"

Steve gave her a nod…

"If you say that I can check your info in the tournament's data by myself, I won't bother doing it. I'll say that I trust you. You seem well-built, anyway. And on the other hand, your skills will be tested more than once."

"You mean that I'm in?!"

"Not yet!" she cut him off and he relaxed his face expression…

"Leaving your skills aside, I would like you to tell me about your connection to the Mishima Zaibatsu."

There was a moment of silence from Steve's side. He should have guessed that he was going to be asked about this. The Mishima Zaibatsu and G-Corporation weren't just two rival companies. Behind those, blood was shed and lives were destroyed. These men were responsible for a lot of people's fates, always on the wrong side. A person such as those was Emma. The reason he was going to do all this. Steve knew that both of these companies did a lot of despicable things and had guessed that his case wasn't the worst of all. However, the hatred was the same in all of them…

"Jin Kazama…He was…the reason my…fiancée died."

"Oh…my condolences…What a terrible thing, right?" she said in a sarcastic tone, Steve obviously noticed. He would be consumed by anger in a second if she said that any other time but for now he only had in mind for Anna to believe him…

"But this man is already dead…Shouldn't you feel happy about it?"

"Miss, this man wouldn't even touched her, if it was up to me, without using the Zaibatsu's power. When this company is destroyed will be the time my girlfriend will be avenged."

Anna didn't say anything this time. It was a loss of time to ask. She already had in mind of how to use him. She didn't need to have Kazuya's permission, since she guessed that with how he was feeling right now, the last thing he would care about would be the new recruit of hers. She stood up from her seat and Steve did the same. She extended her arm and said…

"I guess it won't hurt for me to hire you. You're in and…Remind me…How was your name again?"

Steve gave her his hand and smiled politely…

"Thank you, Miss and my name is Steve Fox."

She crossed her arms under her chest and watched his determent expression…

"I see…You don't need to thank me…Steve…Listen, for now, I'm gonna take you to Bruce. You can be a big help to him with the practice and he can show you how to handle weapons. When the time comes…We're gonna have a serious talk…Just you and me…"

Steve was clueless as to what she meant, however, he felt relaxed with the fact that he would be with Bruce for now. He knew him and he was a cool guy. Steve respected him a lot. On the other hand, he knew how friendly he was with Kazuya. He had to make him believe that what he said to Anna was the truth…

She walked passed him and walked to the door. She pressed the button once again and the door opened…

"Follow me."

"Y-Yes…"

Before walking outside the office, Anna stopped and said to him…

"By the way…I'm Anna Williams…You can just call me Anna."

Steve was left speechless as he heard that name… _Williams_ …Could this woman have a connection to the one, who gave birth to him? It could be a possibility but he hoped not…

 **A week later…**

It's been a week, already and Steve managed to get used to the way things inside the G-Corporation worked. He, still, wasn't able to meet Kazuya but he wasn't surprised by this. Even if Kazuya was going in and out of the Headquarters, Steve was always at the Military Base assisting Bruce. He looked at how the man liked weapons and that saddened him. He preferred seeing him fight with kicks and punches than him using these things, however, after thinking that he was going to do the same, he would put these thoughts aside to not distract him from his goals. Steve believed in fair play. When someone was fighting with his body, the opponent had to do the same. But now he had to forget the way he used to think, since avenging Emma, that dear woman to him, was all he cared about…

…

"You're getting better and better." Said Bruce Irvin as he saw Steve practicing with a gun…

The blond boxer took of the earplugs he was wearing and turned to face the older man, after securing the gun and placing it in its case…

"Is that so?" he asked with a hint of irony. Something that, thankfully, Bruce didn't notice.

The man touched his shoulder and smiled. Steve felt somehow uneasy. What was he supposed to do now? He wasn't particular happy that he was good in this kind of thing. It always brought back bad memories. He gave him an awkward smile and said…

"I see…"

"What's wrong, kid?" asked Bruce…

Steve shook his head. He scratched the back of his head and looked at him trying to maintain a normal face expression…

"Why do you say that? There's nothing wrong. I was, just, going to say that it was all due to your help."

"In just a week?! No man, you must have a natural talent. Use it well!" he said as he gave him a small punch on his shoulder…

Except from the thing that Steve wanted to scream in that insane advice, he, also, felt annoyed when Bruce gave him that complement…

"Are you pulling my leg or what?" he mumbled as a picture of his mother came into his mind…

"Did you say anything?"

"Uh…no, just thinking that everything starts to move forward. I heard something like Mr. Mishima is going to go visit a place. It's true, isn't it?"

Bruce looked away. Was it ok to reveal that to Steve? He knew that it wouldn't be a bad thing but Kazuya is a difficult person. He turned his head back to Steve, who raised an eyebrow confused at him. Before he was ready to say anything, he noticed a woman standing behind Steve and some meters away from where they were standing. Since, Anna was here, he decided to not say a thing. The beautiful woman approached them and as Steve turned to see her, he saw her smiling at him. Steve cursed his luck. Even if Bruce was to tell him something, with Anna coming here, he had to forget of any possible information. She touched his shoulder and glanced at Bruce, who rolled his eyes in response…

"You could always ask me, darling." She said to Steve…

…

 **G-Corporation Military Base, Anna's office…**

Anna Williams asked from Steve to follow her. That kid was so cute, she thought. Especially when he didn't have a clue of what was happening. They entered the office she had in the base. It was looking very similar to the one she had in the headquarters. She asked from him to sit on a chair opposite her own. Steve did as she asked him and she smiled. What Anna found cute in him, he found it unbearably annoying. The worst thing it could happen to him would be to have no idea of what was happening or for everyone to know something he didn't concerning himself. Anna poured for him some of her favorite red wine not asking if he wanted or not. Steve looked at the glass in front of him and said…

"Uh…I don't believe it's a good idea for me to drink…I"

Anna crossed her legs and sipped some of her own… "Why not? Are you underage or something?"

He shook negatively his head. He brought his gaze as to meet hers… "Certainly not! Just saying that I'm still in practice and…"

"Consider yourself dismissed, then." Anna interrupted him and set her glass of wine on her desk. "Let's have a talk, shall we?"

Steve nodded and took the glass in his hands… "What talk do you want us to have? Is it serious?"

Anna stayed silent for some time. She thought all of the things she discussed with Kazuya. She was worried about his reckless moves. They had no idea on how Lars Alexandersson was moving or if their information were still valid. He said that tomorrow they will depart for the place, where that tomb was. Anna wanted to ask about why is it so sudden. What happened? In the end, she decided to not ask anything. She just wanted to be informed on how many soldiers they will need, tell Bruce the part of his job and what time they will be leaving…

Taking her answers, Anna Williams made her way to find Bruce. There she saw him as he was talking in a friendly mood with her new recruit, Steve Fox. As she approached them further, she heard the young man asking about Kazuya's plan. She noticed Bruce's uncertainty and smiled. Sure…This man was having more private discussions with Kazuya than she did. Maybe, because they used the same methods as to get rid of someone. Anna wouldn't kill if it wasn't in her orders or if the victim was a possible threat for her…However, that didn't matter when the opponent was her own sister.

…

"Of course, it's serious, honey! I never fool around when I'm working."

"My apologies, Miss Williams!"

Anna smiled widely and stood up. She approached Steve and squeezed his shoulders. "Remember when you said that you want to aid us?" she asked…

Steve looked at his lap and then turned his head to meet her gaze. It was the first time he noticed that the color of their eyes irises was exactly the same. Steve was still wondering if these two women had a relationship. Sisters or cousins…Oh fuck, if that was true, would that make Anna Williams his aunt?

"Well, do you?" she asked again and Steve gave her a nod…

"Good…You see, it's true that Kazuya is going to leave tomorrow. Both Bruce and I are going to go with him."

"And what can I do to help you?"

Anna walked back to her seat and crossed her legs… "What you say…You're going to come with me. I might need a bodyguard."

The young man didn't know how to react. Be happy that he might have a chance to kill Kazuya "accidentally" or confused because he wasn't ready for such a thing? He swallowed hard and felt Anna's piercing glare…

"Steve?" she said while her previous smiling face was replaced by an irritated one. The last thing Anna needed was for someone to not listen to her orders.

She saw Steve turning his face to see her. He opened slightly his mouth as he was ready to say something… "I'll do as you wish. Thank you for your trust."

"Don't mention it! You can go back to Bruce now" she said as she saw him standing up. He took the glass of wine in his hands and swallowed it all. Anna raised an eyebrow confused. When he did, he placed it again on the desk…

"Thanks! The wine was really good."

"You know, you didn't have to drink it all at once. And anyway, be sure to be ready for tomorrow, ok?"

Steve nodded and walked to the door. He pressed the button but before he was ready to walk outside he said… "I'll do my best!"

"I wasn't expecting less from you, darling!"

 **Later in the evening…**

 **G-Corporation Headquarters, Kazuya's office…**

 _No…I won't be defeated by you, once again…_

 _You destroyed everything…Even yourself…_

 _Just stay away from me…_

 _Don't involve yourself in my plans…_

 _You're the most foolish woman, I've ever met…_

"Wasn't I the only woman, you showed your caring side to? If that's so…Then that makes you the biggest fool in this."

His eyes widened as he saw that woman in front of him. Was it a hallucination just like the other time? Or was it real both times she appeared in front of him? But her eyes were teary and sad. No, it was impossible for her to be alive. It couldn't be real…But she was getting closer to him with small steps wearing the same saddened expression that was making him so weak to even react against her. She placed her hand on her heart and said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice…

"You don't know, what I would do to make you be that "fool" again?"

Kazuya stayed silent not that he knew what he could say as to make her disappear from here. He watched as she looked at him once again and that time he realized that in the back of his mind, he was feeling sad for her. He shook his head shocked but as he tried to gain control of himself, he felt her head resting on his chest and her tears falling on his shirt. That time she completely froze him. It was the first time he actually felt scared of someone. She looked at him once again and brought her mouth to his ear…

"Do what you think is right but…just keep this inside your heart…Whatever the cost, I'm not going to give up on you!"

Suddenly, after these words of hers, he regained the control of his body and mind. He was ready to face her being completely himself but in the end he noticed that she had already disappeared…

…

He opened his eyes and noticed that this was just another dream.

Another bad one… She will come, she will come. He always prepared himself for that. But, why then, whenever he saw her, he was the one being manipulated? Maybe, it was just the devil in his head warning him of what she was able to do to him. Yeah, that must be it…The second warning…

But he still remembered her head resting on his chest and her teary gaze. In the end, he recalled that feeling of sadness he had towards her, as well. That created a pain in the back of his head. He had to seriously think of how he was supposed to deal with her…As it seemed, Jun Kazama tried to show him a part of how her true power would be able to affect him…She was much more stronger than before and she had to be eliminated before he was ready to face Lars Alexandersson…

…

In the end, he heard a knock on the door…

He pressed the button and the door opened. Bruce Irvin walked inside and before he was ready to say something, he was interrupted by Kazuya…

"What do you want? Both you and Anna start to really get on my nerves."

Bruce raised an eyebrow in question. He remembered Anna telling him that this guy was in a really awful mood but he just thought that it was because the woman messed up an important mission again. As it seemed he was wrong. He walked further and the door closed behind him…

"Well, I'm sorry for coming to give you a report?"

Kazuya sighed and looked away… "You're years under me. I believe you're aware that I trust your abilities. Now go, I'll see you tomorrow."

Bruce nodded… "Agreed! There was actually something I wanted to ask you."

"And what this might be? I just hope you don't make the same questions Anna's been doing."

"I don't…think so…" he said and crossed his arms…

"Say it, then…"

"Anna…Did you know she asked from a new guy to join us?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a hint of wonder in his voice…

"A week ago, she hired a guy and she sent him to me for training."

Kazuya crossed his arms and glanced at Bruce, who had a puzzled look in his eyes… "What do you know about him?"

"Uh…He's an ok, guy. He used to participate in the tournaments using boxing and I knew him personally. He is quite talented, I have to say. In my opinion, he's gonna be a big help."

"Do you know why she hired him?" he asked…

Bruce nodded his head positively and said… "He has unfinished business with the Mishima Zaibatsu, while your son was still the CEO, and as Anna mentioned, his girlfriend or something was killed because of him."

"Did she check if the information is valid?"

"Yeah!"

Kazuya stayed silent for a moment but in the end he dismissed him… "Leave, let her do as she wishes. If something goes wrong, I'll take care of her."

"Uh…Ok! See you tomorrow." With that Bruce made his way to the door but stopped for a moment and said turning slightly his head…

"By the way, you better change your shirt, it's wet. Bye!"

The door closed and Kazuya looked at his shirt. He swallowed hard. So, it was like that…All these weren't the devil's way to warn him, it was Jun from the very beginning. Her tears were as real as she was…

He stood up and ripped it apart. No…He wasn't going to let her play with him anymore…

 **Next day…**

Early in the morning, Steve with Bruce were inspecting as the soldiers, who were going to join them, were preparing the two helicopters. Steve watched Bruce as he was giving them orders. He found it weird that Kazuya would take only a small amount of soldiers with him. He placed his fist under his chin and thought about why he was doing that. Well, he remembered Anna telling him that she needed him as a bodyguard but that was all she told him.

Bruce walked next to him and saw him absorbed in his thoughts. He touched his shoulder and said…

"You're still in your dreamland?"

Steve raised his head and saw the older man looking at him. He shook his head and stretched his back… "Not really, I was just confused about something."

"What thing?" he asked concerned…

"You see…We're going at this place…How do we know that we won't be ambushed? What if Lars Alexandersson…"

"Relax, kid!" said Bruce and started walking to the first helicopter and motioned for Steve to do the same… "When it's time to face that guy we will know. And don't worry, we have some time till then."

Steve nodded and they did as Bruce asked him…

…

"Kazuya, you're ready? We need to go." Said Anna as she walked inside his office…

The man turned to see her and nodded… "Yes, let's go." He said and walked outside with Anna following him…

…

As they were walking to G-Corporation's Private Airport behind the Headquarters, Kazuya remembered what Bruce said yesterday to him. He stopped and turned to see Anna…

"I recently found out that you've hired a man, who you're taking with us. Why did you do that?"

Anna crossed her arms… "I didn't try to hide it from you. And not to mention that if I came to tell you, you were probably going to kick me out of the office."

He stayed silent, since he knew that this was definitely what he was going to do. He turned his head away and continued walking. Anna sighed and followed him once again…

Soon after, they arrived and Kazuya noticed Bruce talking with a tall blond man. He assumed that he was the one Anna hired. He gave her a last glance and saw her as she was smiling to their side. What was going on here? He shook his head and started walking again…

…

"So, you really don't have to do it that way…more like…Oh Kazuya!"

Steve turned slowly his head after hearing Bruce calling that name. Before he was ready to face him, he had to make sure to control both his body and hatred towards this man. Finally, he turned his whole body and bowed in front of him…

" _What am I doing here? Bowing in front of my enemy?_ " Steve thought disgusted with himself…

As he stood up he saw Anna standing beside that man. So she really was his right hand. Seeing her, relaxed him a little. He was used when it came to deal with her and it wasn't like she was bad to him…

"What's your name?" asked Kazuya…

"I'm Steve Fox, sir. I'll work hard as to not disappoint you." Answered Steve with a determent tone in his voice and as well using the appropriate face expression…

Kazuya stood, there, staring at him but in the end walked away to get inside the helicopter…

"Do that." He said and Bruce followed him inside the helicopter…

Anna and Steve watched them as they entered and she touched his shoulder…

"Good job, there! The less you say to him, the better. You'll be taking orders from me, ok?"

Steve nodded and she took away her gaze from him… "Let's go now."

"Uh…After you!" said Steve and Anna smiled at herself noticing his gentlemanly ways…

 **Middle East, Zafina's village…**

Her eyes widened as she woke up from her sleep. What was that? A dream? A premonition? Definitely the second. She turned to her right and saw her sister's sleeping figure. Good thing she didn't wake her up. She stood up silently and approached the window. The sun just started to rise. Was the guru awake? Probably…For this man, two hours of sleep were enough. She dressed up quickly and walked outside. The fresh air could relax her but she didn't have time for this. Soon enough she arrived outside the old man's door. As she guessed, he was already awake. She saw him as he was preparing some tea. It was the first time for her to not see him with a glass of wine in his hands. When she was ready to make her presence understandable to him, she heard him saying…

"Would you like some, my child?"

"Master?" she said and made a step back startled…

The man turned to see her and motioned for her to walk inside. Zafina did as he asked her and made her way inside. She sat on the floor as usual and the guru followed after her setting in front of her a cup of tea. Zafina looked inside the cup and noticed the amber colored warm liquor. It smelled so good. If only she was calm enough to enjoy it fully? The man touched gently her hand and said…

"Have a taste…It will calm you down."

"I see…you knew again that I was coming." She said and took the cup in her hands…

The man smiled and nodded. He took a glance of her and noticed a frown above her eyes. My poor child, he thought…

Zafina raised her head and set the cup on the floor. She placed her hands on her lap and said…

"That woman…In Japan, she has something dangerous in her mind and that other girl, who stays with her helps her."

"When you say dangerous?"

She stayed silent for a moment. Was it really dangerous or she assumed that because she couldn't explain it? The guru knew something she didn't…once again, he was hiding things from her…

"Master, if you know something I don't…Please tell me. This time I have no choice but to succeed."

The man nodded. However, this time he wasn't hiding anything from her. He knew that because of what happened in the past, Zafina didn't trust him fully anymore. Zafina was looking intensely at him. Could it be that he really didn't know anything? Even the slightest thing would be enough…

"What vision did you have this time?"

"So…it was a vision…" she mumbled… "I saw a man…he was scared of something…It was painful and made him weak."

"Have you seen that man before?"

The woman took her gaze away from his and nodded…

"I see…I will only tell you this. Keep your eyes open and be on alert…But…Don't do rush movements and be careful. If you're not sure, you're backing off."

"So, you really know something."

"Let's say that my powers are sometimes stronger than your own. Do as I said and don't try to be a hero, ok?"

Zafina stood up and bowed in front of the man… "I see. I'll do as you say."

"I hope so. The last thing I want is to lose you, my child."

She smiled and nodded… "I won't disappoint you."

 **Outside Tokyo…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu First Military Base…**

"This damned bed…I couldn't sleep again." Said Hwoarang as he placed his arm on top of his eyes to cover them from the sunlight…

He heard a mocking laugh and he gritted his teeth since he knew, who it was…

"Is it really the bed your problem or something…umm…better make it someone else?"

The man yawned and tried to stand up. He stretched his back and said… "Firstly, it's rude to enter a person's room without his permission and secondly, you surely have a lot of free time, Nina. I mean, taking an interest in another person's life…is quite a lot unlike you."

Nina sighed and crossed her arms… "I'll say it again…My concern when it comes to you is to not ruin our mission because of some brat."

In an instant, his right hand was around her neck… "You are the last one, who's gonna tell me what to do or not." His grip tightened this time and the woman was trying to free herself from his grip, as he said… "It's been a lot of time since I wish to see your body buried two meters under the ground. If you ever made the mistake again to even think of her, I'll do my best as to grant my wish. Believe me…I keep my promises."

When he finished he released her. She touched her neck and opened the door to walk outside…

Hwoarang touched his head and sat once again on the bed. He had to do something with that bitch. Kill her accidentally on the battlefield was a good idea but he wasn't that cheap. But what was her problem? He didn't do anything to disappoint Lars or make the man think that he wasn't focused. But still, when he would be alone his mind would travel back to Osaka, where he left those two girls. He was so worried about them, especially from the time Lili told him about something she was worried about…

…

 **A week ago…**

 **Osaka, Second Military Base…**

 _Hwoarang was inside his room. He remembered his talk with Asuka. He smiled when he thought of how obvious this girl was with her feelings. Could it be that she liked him? No, no…It probably was just an attachment like thing from her side but what was it from his own? He definitely pictured Lili as a little sister in his heart but he was completely clueless when it came to that idiot. He rested his body on his black leathered couch…He was the captain for fuck's sake, of course he would have this kind of couch. He placed his hands behind his head thinking that he had to make preparations for tomorrow. Forget about that, what was his position inside here, if to not order around his underlings. He would only take the sack he came with here. His hand came to his neck, which was bare this time…He gave her his pendant…He sighed desperately and said to himself…_

" _I'm such an idiot…"_

" _I can completely agree under some circumstances."_

" _Lili!" he said her name and stood up in an instant from the couch. He didn't realize when she came. He must keep in his mind to lock the door the next time…_

" _You scared the hell out of me…Please knock next time."_

 _The young woman rolled her eyes, she closed the door behind her and said… "My hand knuckles got red from the knocking. Wanna see?"_

 _Hwoarang ignored what she said and motioned for her to walk further inside. She made her way to his desk and sat on his office's chair. She crossed her legs gracefully and it was Hwoarang's turn to roll his eyes at her…_

 _That princess complex she had there was getting bigger, he thought in the inside… "You made sure you weren't followed?"_

" _Tsk…With the way you are and how many times you're asking us this, I'm starting to believe that even my own shadow is following me."_

" _Can you stop being so ironic today? What's wrong?"_

 _Lili looked away and raised an eyebrow… "You tell me…Why did she have this kind of face when she got out of your office?"_

" _Were you stalking us?"_

" _I'm not that low, ok? If you remember, you asked her to tell me to come to your room. You definitely told her something, since her face was stiff in a strange way."_

 _Hwoarang feigned ignorance and walked to his small fridge… "Want a soda?" he said and looked at her…_

 _Lili stood up and walked to him. She raised her hand and hit him at the back of his head. Hwoarang started rubbing the place, where she hit him and saw her questionable expression… "What did you tell her?"_

 _He gave her a fake smile and walked away as he took a can of beer from the fridge… "You're just imagining things. Isn't she always like this? Maybe you did something?" he said and opened the can…_

 _The blonde girl started to get annoyed from his childish behavior. In the inside she knew that he told her something that "shook" in a way her feelings. How cruel to feign ignorance after that, thought Lili? Her rival was a girl in love, she was sure about this, and this guy…How dare he play with a girl's heart?_

" _Don't try to put the blame on me, ok? Say it, Hwoarang…She's acting weird and so out of herself. You definitely did something to her. She's attached to you and trusts you."_

 _Lili was getting suspicious and he had to calm her down somehow. He knew that she was right in everything she told him but in the end he was weak…so weak…_

" _Indeed, I told her something…"_

 _She smiled and crossed her arms under her chest… "Finally…Tell me."_

" _Tomorrow…I'm leaving with them."_

" _WHAT?!" she said and her eyes widened… "W-Why?"_

" _I have no clue for the reason. This bitch came here to tell me that."_

" _When you say "bitch" you're referring to that pest Nina Williams?"_

 _Hwoarang sat down on the bed and Lili followed beside him… "You know her? A girl like you? How?"_

" _She murdered my mother."_

" _I see…" was all that Hwoarang said. He didn't find it weird and it would be stupid to ask why. Lili didn't even look at him confused as to why he didn't ask for the reason. She knew as well that this was her job. But still, a young and educated girl as Lili couldn't understand in which way assassinating people can be considered a job? A hobby? Yes, she could accept that. There are a lot of lunatics out there…_

" _Whatever…In the end, I can't say that I find it weird. You're a captain, of course, they would need you. So, it's like this…You told her that."_

 _He nodded…_

 _Lili Rochefort stood up and walked to the window of his room…Oh, the stars were so pretty. That thought of hers was a temporary one, as she turned her body once again to face that idiot of a captain they had… "So? Let's leave that aside…What did you want with me?"_

 _Hwoarang walked to his office and opened the second drawer. He took out a key and gave it to her… "This is the spare key of this office. I'm giving it to you. Whenever you feel like it, take her and come here."_

" _She has a name you know…Why do you have to be so stubborn? Same goes for her as well."_

 _He closed the drawer and said again… "What do you mean?"_

" _She loves you…" she said almost whispering it and her eyes got teary… "She's acting strange but she can't realize it. Am I the only one, who sees it?"_

 _The older man felt bad for the girl and wrapped his arms around her only for her to snap them away… "Take your hands off me!"_

 _His eyes widened, when he saw her angry expression…Was she really worried for Asuka? He didn't find it impossible. It's been some months now that they live in the dorm, the two of them._

" _S-Sorry for that" she said… "But I don't know how to handle it. Do you?"_

" _How do you want me to know?"_

" _I'll say it again…She loves and trusts you. Tell me, what should I do?"_

 _He stayed silent and Lili sighed disappointed…_

 _She stood up and made her way to the door. She noticed as he stood up as well and suddenly heard his voice… "You're right…I know I have to take responsibility but now I'm afraid to do it."_

" _A-Afraid?" she asked confused…_

 _Hwoarang gave her a weak smile… "If I take responsibility, I won't let go of her."_

" _You share her feelings then?"_

 _He nodded… "Uh…Obviously…But now the last thing we should be thinking is a romantic relationship."_

" _Stop talking so ludicrously. Your love for her is the motive you need to succeed."_

 _She was waiting for an answer but Hwoarang gave her none. She sighed and said opening the door… "For now I'll take it upon myself, since I'm worried for her. Next time you're here, you're going to confess."_

" _In the end, you care about her…"_

 _Lili looked away and blushed… "T-That's n-none of your b-busyness!"_

 _The young woman walked outside the room and made her way to her dorm. Hwoarang was seeing her as she was making quick steps there. "Please take care of each other, you two" he said to himself…_

…

"I'm wondering, how are they doing? But with that witch here, I'm afraid to even use the phone. Her eyes are pierced on me. What am I saying? I'm in a higher position than she is. I'm definitely doing that phone call…On the other hand for an unknown reason…I feel scared doing so…"

As Hwoarang was talking to himself, he heard someone knocking on his door. He walked there and opened it. In front of him appeared a soldier and after bowing in front of him, he said…

"Sir! They needed me to tell you that they're waiting for you in the main office."

"Huh? What is Alexandersson thinking?" he asked…

"I'm sorry but I don't know."

"Fine, fine…" he said and he dismissed him… "I'll be there."

The man nodded one more time and walked away. Hwoarang closed the door behind him and took his uniform from the chair next to the door. He wore it and after fixing his hair, he walked out of the room after making sure that he locked it…

…

 **Some time later in the mail office…**

"The color of the sky sure is pretty, isn't it?" said Lars as he sipped some coffee from his cup…

"Lars, the last thing we must been thinking is if we like what kind of blue, we like in the sky. We have much serious problems."

Hwoarang, who was standing next to Tougou, nodded as well and his eyes took a glance of Nina, who smirked at him. He decided to ignore her and made eye contact with Lars… "He's right! I believe that we should make our own moves. Or is it that you, actually, want to lose this war Alexandersson? Since, if we only wait for his moves, we're already the losers."

"I agree." Said Tougou…

Lars looked first at the two men in front of him and then, he glanced at Nina, who was standing beside him. She shrugged her shoulders and he turned at the two once again…

"You two agree too much, lately." He said jokingly…

Tougou and Hwoarang looked at him irritated. Besides being irritated, Tougou was, also, worried. His friend wasn't the type, who would just invite people happily to share breakfast in times like these. He saw him as he rested his back on the chair and heard his voice…

"You're completely right…Tomorrow, we're moving…You two make preparations, and I'll inform you later of the details."

When they turned to leave, Lars stopped Hwoarang with his voice…

"By the way, Hwoarang, good job! Your soldiers are confident and ready. I didn't have the chance to tell you before."

The younger man sighed and said… "Since, I'm confident, they turned into that as well. You're not the only one with excellent motivational skills."

"Can you not take everything I tell you so arrogantly?" said Lars with a frown above his eyes…

Hwoarang turned his back at him… "No." he said and followed Tougou as he caught up with him…

"Hey!"

Nina touched his shoulder lightly and made him look at her… "No need to waste your breath." She said and sighed…

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with him?" he asked her…

The blonde woman crossed her arms and rested her body on the wall… "I'm not exactly sure…but I believe it has to do with what I told you last time."

"Say it, then."

"I believe that this idiot fell in love."

"How?" asked Lars raising an eyebrow…

"What do you mean how?"

"Inside the base, I mean?"

Nina smiled a little at him and he looked at her confused. She knew that Lars was a man, who wouldn't make fun of him or even warn him of possible distractions, since he was the guy he was…

"I saw him pretty close with a female soldier."

"Is she here now? I'm somehow curious to see her?" he asked her with a smile…

She shook her head negatively. She was curious as well and that's why she searched her info… "She's not here but since I was curious myself, I looked into her."

"You sure have free time. For you to check all of our female soldiers' profiles just to find this girl, I mean…"

"Whose fault is it? You have me here all the time next to you. And not to mention that we don't have a lot of women. Especially at the second base, so it was quite easy."

"Ok, I get it…Say, is she pretty?"

"Pretty average but there's something, which makes her interesting."

Lars raised an eyebrow questionably… "What thing?"

"She's Jin Kazama's cousin."

"He had a cousin?"

Nina nodded her head and they stopped talking about her this time. However, Lars was thinking of something again and the woman next to him noticed it. Why did she have to tell him? She knew that Lars was probably going to be sympathetic towards him. She sighed and said…

"Enough with that guy's affairs. What do you want me to do?" her voice made him look at her…

Lars tightened his grips and his attention took an unread message, he had in his phone. He took it in his hands and then looked at Nina…

"Go prepare the gym. I want us to spar."

She raised an eyebrow. What was this all of a sudden? She crossed her arms and said… "All of a sudden?"

He smiled… "All of a sudden you say. This body, you see in front of you, took years of hard practice to be built. And not to mention that Hwoarang gave me a beating yesterday. I want to get even with him."

The woman decided to not ask any further. He was definitely hiding something. She noticed the change in his expression when he saw the text in his cell phone. She gave him a last nod and walked outside the office. After making sure that Nina left, he read the message and he felt like something was stuck in his throat. In an instant he called the number…He swallowed hard and waited for the other person to answer…

"Oh! Sorry for not calling you sooner…What happened? You mean…like right now? Yeah, yeah…Thanks!"

In a hurry, Lars dropped the call and with his other phone called Tougou…

"Listen, prepare everything, we're leaving! That exactly! I'll explain later, you do as I said. I'll take Nina and find you there. Good!"

In mere seconds, Lars Alexandersson was out of the office and on his way to find Nina Williams…

...

"Hwoarang!"

The red haired man turned to face the other man behind him, as they were preparing the weaponry and supplies…

"What is it? And why do you have this…"

"Drop it! Go prepare the amount of soldiers we said we're taking with us."

"Huh?"

Tougou ran away but before that he said… "Kazuya Mishima made his move, we're after him! Prepare yourself!"

Hwoarang watched the black haired man running away dumbfounded. He didn't expect this. He tightened his fists and two girls entered the back of his mind. He had to do his best for them and…especially…his master…

 **Middle East, Zafina's village…**

"Hahahaha…Not like that, sister." Said Amina as she tried to teach Zafina how to knit a simple scarf. She failed every time. For an unknown reason, Amina found it reassuring that her big sister had something she wasn't good at. She had the looks, the smarts, fighting abilities and wisdom…However, she sucked when it came to housework and things like these. Zafina was human…That was some proof…

Suddenly, Amina felt something around her…Strange…What was it?

"Amina?" Zafina called her sister as she licked her finger, since she nipped it with that last move of hers…

The young girl shook her head and looked at her sister. She smiled at her and Zafina did the same puzzled. Suddenly, she felt something around her as well…An aura…

She walked outside the house telling her sister that she gives up. There were no stars in the sky. It was way too early. She decided to not visit the guru this time. She lowered her gaze to the ground and then nodded to herself. She entered her house once again and proceeded to take her weapons. Amina watched her sister's movements and said as she touched lightly her shoulder…

"Zafina? Where…are you going?"

The older woman gave her a reassuring smile and said... "Hehe…I'm going to do something in which I'm better than you. In other words, practice."

"I see" she said and placed some hair behind her ear…

"I'm going then, give me a lucky kiss." Said Zafina and touched her sister's shoulders. The girl smiled and gave a light kiss on her sister's right cheek…

Zafina walked outside the house but before walking away she looked at the sky once again and then turned to her sister, who was waiting for her to leave…

"Amina, you're on your period. Don't leave the house. It will be troublesome for you, ok?"

The girl nodded and this time watched her sister walking with quick steps away from the village. She touched her heart, when she felt the same strange aura around her…

"What's wrong with me?" she said to herself…

…

The black haired woman started running when she made sure that she was enough away from the village. For a moment she looked behind her but then, completely sure with her decision, she made her way to the tomb. Worry and confusion were surrounding her mind. It was the first time, she was hoping so badly for a vision…

The tomb started to become visible to her eyesight but it wasn't the only thing. She walked closer and saw two helicopters. She had seen this symbol before, she commented in her mind. In the end, what took her whole attention was a man, who was part of one of her visions…

Her eyes widened, when she witnessed what he was trying to do…

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 12,5

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 12,5 (not really a chapter)**

It's been some days since Hwoarang left for Tokyo, after Lars Alexandersson's orders. The day of his departure none of the two girls were there to say even a simple goodbye by saluting in front of him. All of them thought it was for the best. Hwoarang because he wouldn't be able to control himself from denying to go with them. Asuka Kazama because she was certain that she couldn't handle the parting between her and the idiot, who was always in her mind. On the other hand, Lili Rochefort except from the fact, something that she would never going to admit, that she wanted to support her rival, she wasn't going to ruin her sleep for a lame excuse of a man as this one. Well, in the back of her head, she knew that she was going to miss him, too…

Despite the sudden confusion in their lives in one just day, they decided that they needed to pull themselves together, if they wanted to go with him next time. It was the first time the two rivals shook hands in agreement. From that day, they would wake up first to spar with each other without having those pathetic people, who dared to call themselves their superiors, above their heads acting all high and mighty.

All in all, Asuka and Lili were practicing nonstop. That was something that could be confirmed at night, when Lili would hear Asuka snoring, whenever she was really tired or when Asuka would hear Lili talking in her sleep…

Even though practice was hard, it became more tolerable from the day Hwoarang left. How dare they? How dare they destroy his practice plan? And all that when the two girls started getting used to it. For that reason, the two rivals decided to always be together whenever they had to practice as pairs. From all these, everyone could say that these two had a very tiring daily routine…

…

A day as tiring as these was this one. The whole base went to have outside practice at one of the Zaibatsu's private beaches. Created exactly for these reasons. Asuka Kazama would never forget how shameful the whole day was. Except from the thing that the entire male population was looking at her breast, well Lili was doing the same because of her jealousy, that last one did something that she would never forget…

When they arrived, Asuka placed their things on the sand…yeah she was carrying Lili's stuff as well. She took off her uniform and placed sunscreen all over her exposed body. When she was ready to put it back inside, she heard her blonde companion asking her to help her put some, as well. Asuka nodded to herself and when she was ready to turn back to face her, her eyes widened…She had every reason to react like that…

…

 _Asuka Kazama hearing her rival's request rolled her eyes and turned to help her. Her eyes widened and her mouth was dropped at the sight she came across with. She blushed feverishly and felt in her right hand the big amount of sunscreen she accidentally took out because of the shock…_

" _What do you think you're doing?!" said Asuka looking around her…_

 _Lili smiled and looked arrogantly at her rival and flipped her semi long hair in the air… "Jealous, Miss Kazama? I can't say I blame you."_

 _The brunette took out of the bag a big towel and placed it around Lili's body. Lili's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what Asuka was doing because of her jealousy…_

" _Why are you doing this?"_

" _That's my line! Why did you come here dressed like that?"_

 _The taller girl raised an eyebrow towards her rival. She didn't have a clue about what was she talking about. Wasn't her swimsuit nice? She made sure that it was the latest fashion trend. Asuka crossed her arms after making sure that Lili was holding the towel she gave her…_

" _I can't understand you. My swimsuit is perfect."_

" _You stupid! You're not here to play or get tanned. We're here to practice. Why did you wear your bikini?"_

 _Lili rolled her eyes… "Just admit that you're jealous. I thought of bringing for you one, as well, but I didn't bother since Hwoarang isn't here."_

" _I'll pass! Except that every pervert is going to look at you, you'll be laughed as well because of your idiocy."_

 _The blonde pretty girl placed a finger under her chin and a frown appeared above her eyes. She looked around her and noticed that all the women were wearing the same swimsuit as Asuka did. A tear appeared in her eye and felt embarrassed. The girl in front of her felt sad for her and heard her saying…_

" _I'm such an idiot…What should I do now?"_

 _Asuka pursed her lips. She had brought another pair to have with her, if any accident was to happen. Yeah, she was aware of her body and because of her recklessness, she maybe could have an "accident". She sighed and lowered her body to reach her bag. She searched inside and pulled it out…_

 _The other one was confused because of what she was doing… "You're lucky I'm considerate." Said Asuka and gave her the swimsuit…_

 _Lili smiled and took it from her with her left hand since she was holding with the other the towel…_

" _You have my appreciations…umm…would you help me put it on as well? I mean, hold the towel for me?"_

 _Asuka nodded and held the towel as long as Lili was changing…_

 _The brunette was looking around for any pervert with a suspicious gaze. Asuka Kazama was a well-known feminist. Perverts are the nemesis of the female population. The young girl would be ready to eliminate all of them one day…_

 _Lili smiled as she touched her rival's shoulder to let her know she was finished… "Thank you again!"_

 _Asuka gave her a nod, since she wasn't good with the words "thank you" or "don't mention it"…_

…

When they came back from the beach, Asuka had to tolerate, this time, Lili Rochefort's tears. When she changed to the swimsuit Asuka gave her, they forgot to add sunscreen on her body and Lili got a tan, which destroyed her perfect white complexion. She had her head on her shoulder and the other one was just leaving her like that. She didn't know how to comfort her for such a stupid reason. After they had dinner, they all went to rest in their dorms. Asuka let her have her bath first, since she didn't want to have her whining. She believed that the bath would relax her and immediately make her sleep…

Lili walked outside the bathroom feeling a lot better and said when she saw her rival being naked with only a towel around her body… "I'm done…You can go in now."

Asuka touched her shoulder concerned and said… "You're better?"

The blonde girl gave her a nod… "I sure am…I believe that tomorrow even my tan would match perfect with my whole appearance."

The other one decided to not comment on her arrogance and nodded… "Since you're ok…I'm going in."

Lili didn't say anything else and proceeded to make her ritual of being pretty even during sleep…

…

Some minutes later, Asuka Kazama walked outside the bathroom and saw her rival being asleep. She sighed relieved. She wore a gym shorts, which she was always wearing as a pajama and a white tank top she took out of one of her drawers. She wore it, as well, and smiled…

" _A tank top with no bra feels like freedom."_ She thought and threw herself on her bed and closed her eyes to sleep…

…

Three hours had passed and still Asuka Kazama was rolling on her bed. Even though she was tired she didn't have any sleep and all that because of some disturbing thoughts of hers…

" _At least, give a sign that you're safe, you jerk?"_ she thought and turned to her left…

" _I just hope, he hasn't found any blockhead whore to flirt with!"_ she sighed… _"Fuck this…I'm so restless…"_

Being drifted in her sadness and restlessness, Asuka Kazama heard something that somehow bothered her…

"Mmm…Master…Lars…" Lili mumbled in her sleep…

Asuka rolled her eyes… _"This idiot…She won't let me sleep again…Not that I have any sleep…Just saying…"_

"Mmm…N-Not there…" she said again…

She sighed and raised an eyebrow… _"At least there's someone having fun."_

Asuka Kazama was there, awake, listening to Lili Rochefort moaning and doing something, she actually never had. She understood the feeling of sexual desire, well, they were in some age after all and it wasn't like girls didn't have needs, right? Just for this reason, she managed to let it be for some time…

"AH…Right there!" she heard her again…She gritted her teeth and stood up from her bed, after taking her pillow with her, and walked to Lili's. She saw her as she was laying there with a perverted smile and that irritated her more. She raised her pillow and threw it at her. Lili woke up, suddenly, with her eyes widened. She looked around her and said in a haze…

"We're being attacked?!"

She stood there for some seconds, until she noticed Asuka looking at her with her arms crossed…

"What is it?" she said holding her head and watched Asuka walking to her bed and lied down on it…

"That should have been my line!"

Lili raised an eyebrow and heard her again… "What are you? An old perverted hag? I can't count how many times you come for Lars Alexandersson."

The younger girl blushed and said touching her chest… "Huh?! So shameless…I'm known for my purity, ok?"

Asuka rested her head on her pillow and said sarcastically… "Yeah right! When someone searches for the word "Purity" in the dictionary, exactly next to it, there's your picture."

Lili rolled her eyes irritated but her rival said something again that gained her attention…

"You can masturbate, if you want. You could, actually, feel the pleasure and eventually stop, when you would finish."

Asuka noticed her silence and stood up from her lying down position… "Yo, Lili! What's wrong?"

She looked at her for a moment and then turned her head away from her once again. Asuka's eyes widened at this… "Don't tell me you're THAT clueless?!" she almost shouted, something that made the other one turn to see her…

"You know what masturbation is, right?" she asked again…

Lili smiled at her rival's shocked face expression. She placed her hand under her chin and said… "Hehe…I sure do. But there's something else that worries me, in a way."

Asuka raised an eyebrow confused… "What thing?"

"I know what it is but I never tried it…Erm…How does it work?" she asked her…

A blush appeared on her rival's face, who didn't know if she should tell her or not…In the end, she swallowed hard and mumbled… "You p-put your…Hey!" she suddenly snapped… "You don't know your own body?"

"I certainly know every perfect aspect of it…So, I would say that I, of course, know it."

Asuka sighed in the inside… " _Always…so full of herself…_ Whatever…Let's just…"

"Have you tried it?" asked Lili with a face full of expectation…

Asuka took her gaze away from Lili's "Well…I… _That's so embarrassing._ "

"So, you did…How it was?" she asked…

"G-Good…" she almost whispered…

"Why did you do it?" she asked again with a smile on her face…

Asuka rolled her eyes in the inside… " _Why she says…_ Because I felt like it."

"What feeling was it?" said Lili and brought her hands together…

"What kind of conversation is that in 1AM?!"

Lili waved her hand ignoring what she said… "Where did you do it?"

Asuka sighed… "Lili? Enough already?"

"Were you thinking of Hwoarang when you did it?"

"Who else?" said Asuka without realizing it until… "DAMN IT!"

"Oh? What a confession?" said Lili as she raised an eyebrow playfully to her direction…

The brunette tightened her fists realizing her rival's immature game… "You schemer, you obviously tricked me!"

She stuck out her tongue at her and said… "Clever, huh?"

"Clever my butt, better say stupid!"

Lili created a heart with her fingers and said… "You're so cute!"

"I don't want to hear that from you!" she shouted at her…

"Definitely…I bet you'd like it better if it was coming from the target of your affections…Well, you would come as well." She said and crossed her arms…

"Me and my big mouth…That's embarrassing…Please…"

Lili realized that she took it too far and said… "Ok, fine! By the way, I believe, he's doing the same."

Asuka rested her body on the bed and placed her arms under her head as a pillow… "Well duh! Every man does it."

Lili did the same thing as her rival… "I meant with him thinking of you."

Asuka sighed… "From the scale 1 to 10, with 1 equals "Who knows?" and 10 equals "Dream on!". We surely get a 10."

"Tsk…So pessimistic…"

"It's ok…We have you being the optimistic one." Said Asuka and turned to her right… "Enough already! Sleep or masturbate."

"Are these my only options?" she said and a frown appeared on her face…

"What options did you want in 1 am?"

Lili looked at the window and noticed the dark blue sky… "Ehh…Some tea with sweets would be nice."

"Then, go have some."

"We're in the army, silly!" she said and smiled…

Asuka sighed and turned to her left once again… "At least you know that much."

The blonde tall girl ignored her comment… "Say…"

"What?"

"…I miss him…"

The older girl believed that she understood what her rival meant and sighed sympathetically…

"Your father, eh? I, totally, get you…"

Lili shook her head negatively… "I mean Hwoarang."

She took an annoyed face expression but tried to hide it… "Oh…him…"

"Don't you miss him?"

"L-Let's n-not…"

"But you masturbated while thinking of him."

She placed the pillow on her head angrily… "Ugh! How many times are you gonna say it already? And since you know that much, you have your answer there."

"Ah…How sweet?" commented Lili glancing at her from her bed…

"I'll punch your pretty face, witch!"

Lili laughed and that time Asuka's pillow hit her face. She didn't do anything in return but she stopped laughing. She hugged slightly the pillow and looked at the window again… "I hope Master Lars is safe, as well?"

"Seriously now, do you like him?"

She smiled… "If you mean sexually…Not really, even though I definitely wouldn't deny a romantic intercourse with him."

"Then?"

"Master Lars is like an oasis for me. I can always be calm around him."

Asuka was left confused… "You really are…whatever…Give me back my pillow."

Lili threw her the pillow and Asuka tried to sleep, after placing it under her head. She closed her eyes and said… "Good night!"

"Hey? Don't sleep! At least, before I do."

"Seriously? Are you intending to ask me to read you a book on top of that?"

She waved her hands and smiled… "It's ok…You don't have to."

"Like I would! Hphm!" she said and turned away from her blonde roommate…

Lili frowned but in the end she rested her head on her pillow and tried to sleep as she was looking at her rival's back…

 **Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 13

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 13**

 **Middle East…**

Zafina didn't have to walk closer to the tomb, she was supposed to protect. Actually, what was she doing? She felt like a failure. Every other person with the same abilities as she did would have every right to question her wrong way of doing her missions. However, that was how Zafina was thinking. Every fellow protector was almost idolizing her. They would never wonder if she did something wrong. If it was that woman, she would have a reason in acting like that. Their devotion was that deep. All in all, it was she, who was always strict with herself. She was open and relaxed around others but when it came to herself, she was restraining everything fearing of possible distractions. She was enough happy to see her sister safe and happy and the children of the village being able to keep their innocence in these dark days…

She brought her hand to her chest as she was watching Kazuya Mishima approaching the ancient tomb. Her legs were numb and her mind confused…She wasn't prepared for anything like that…Wrong again…Then, she remembered the guru's words… _Do not act on impulse and if you can't handle it, back away_ …

She pursed her lips tightly…

Who the hell did they think they were to make her fail her duties again? She made silently some steps forward and saw, of course, some of the G-Corporation's soldiers outside the company's helicopters. The number wasn't big, so she assumed that he wasn't preparing any kind of ambush. For a moment, she felt a slight piece of relief. But then…

Her gaze fell upon Anna and Bruce. These two dangerous people. The man, who joined the war for his own amusement and the other woman, who Zafina wasn't even a bit interested in learning her motives. However, she got a glimpse of a blond man standing some steps behind the woman. The black haired woman tried to read his aura. It was very easy…

Kind but…He had a soul full of hatred, who in the same time wished to love and run away from this Hell…

Zafina was confused when it came to this young man. She sensed that he wasn't a bit interested in this tomb. Steve Fox didn't even know what existed inside there and he didn't dare to ask. He preferred ignorance…The woman felt that she didn't have to be suspicious of him but…everything and everyone is unpredictable…She knew it better than anyone…

She looked at the ground and decided to move forward ready to face Kazuya Mishima…

 **In the same time…**

"This is it…" he said to himself…

Anna watched him as he started walking closer to the tomb with a confusing smile on his face. She didn't decide to ask him anything. Including, what should they do and especially…what he was going to do now that he had found the tomb. She relaxed herself when she noticed that Bruce was acting the way she did. The aura Kazuya was emitting right now to them was the one when he showed to everyone that there were only two people on Earth. Himself and the Devil…They were becoming one…not that they weren't already but, were they?

Steve Fox had his arms crossed. Even though they were in the desert, he felt quite cold. He heard some things about when the sun was setting, there was a cold atmosphere there but he wasn't sure. Some punches he got on the head, while he was fighting in the ring may have caused him some memory damage. However, he didn't think much about it. He was here to be Anna Williams' bodyguard and protect her if necessary. He walked closer to her and touched her shoulder startling her. She looked behind her and relaxed seeing Steve's handsome face…

"What is he trying to do?" he asked her…

Anna shrugged her shoulders… "No idea…I don't dare to ask, in the same time. Let's just stay silent."

He nodded and stood beside her…

Bruce Irvin took a glance of a woman, who he thought he had seen her somewhere. Well, she was way too pretty to be forgotten, he commented in his mind. He smiled and said to Kazuya…

"Kazuya?"

Both Anna and Steve tense up…

" _What is this idiot doing? Does he have a death wish?"_ thought Anna and looked at Steve, who had the same face expression as she did. At least she had a comrade…

Kazuya turned his head to glance at Bruce and said… "What do you want?"

"I get the fact that you want to manage that tomb thing by yourself but what about us? It would be a shame if we don't practice with real people this time. Don't you think? Let's have some fun with our rivals"

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. Practice on real people, you say…Practice…So sickening…

"You might be right, Bruce." He said and smiled…

Steve didn't expect anything less but an agreement by Kazuya Mishima. Then, he heard Anna saying…

"What are you talking about? So useless and you, Kazuya, agreeing. You're here, you know what you have to do, then, do it and let's leave."

Bruce rolled irritated his eyes at her and she frowned… "Since when were you such a party pooper? You could maybe have the opportunity to set the score with your dear sister, if she's around here."

Anna ignored what he said about Nina being here… "Is your age starting to damage your head? You're in charge of our soldiers and you know how "prepared" we are, don't you? What if Lars Alexandersson ends up victorious, in the end?"

"You say some pretty useless stuff, Anna. Lars Alexandersson is nothing like Kazuya and his son. He's of a different level."

"You could never know." She crossed her arms… "Even that kid managed to defeat Jin Kazama, once, and some months ago he killed Heihachi Mishima"

Their conversation had got Steve's attention from the time Bruce mentioned the thing with Anna setting the score with her sister. She really was his aunt, wasn't she? But then, he heard…

"Who are you talking about?" asked Bruce…

Anna smiled at his ignorance… "Now he works with the Zaibatsu, I mean the Korean, who was using Tae Kwon Do. Baek Doo San's student. The man, who you killed with your own gun."

The only thing Bruce did was to nod… "Yeah…I remember him. He's quite skilled."

Anna smiled… "As I said he killed Heihachi Mishima, if he finds out or maybe he has already done, that you killed his master, find a place to hide."

Steve's eyes widened. He knew of Baek's death but not that G-Corporation was responsible…and especially Bruce. Anna was right, if Hwoarang finds out, he had to disappear…But…Was he really working with Lars Alexandersson? No wonder? Even he was working with Kazuya Mishima. However, the last thing Steve wanted was to find himself against his friend. They had helped each other a lot of times…Now? No, no…He wasn't going to back down and he knew that Hwoarang was going to do the same…Whenever, Steve would question his own actions…He would think only of one name… _Emma_ …

"I'll act like I never heard you saying that. If that brat comes to "challenge" me…Be sure, Anna…That he will be dead the same way as his master."

Anna ignored the last comment of Bruce's but noticed Steve's tightened fists… "Steve, are you ok?" she asked concerned…

"Yeah…You were arguing all this time and Mr. Mishima has already arrived at the tomb…I mean…"

Anna and Bruce looked at each other and turned their heads to Kazuya's direction. They saw a woman standing in front of him with her holding two knives in her hands. Even from this distance they seemed quite sharp…

…

"Kazuya…Mishima…" Zafina called his name between breaths trying to cool down from running in full speed to prevent him in arriving first to the tomb. Zafina didn't have problems when it came to speed but right now…Her feet felt heavy and the ground like it was pulling her down…She didn't feel like that the last time she tried to approach him. Did he get really that strong after his son's death?

The man looked at her and crossed his arms… "You again?" he said…

"I should be the one saying this." She said and started walking closer to him as she was having her knives in her hands ready to attack him… "You have your power back. Leave this place or else…"

Kazuya smiled… "You're the one, who was talking about…umm…that Azazel thing and called me the "One of the Evil Stars". You gave me a good laugh. However, this time you didn't say anything. Why shouldn't I open the gate? Give me a reason…if you say that you know that much, I will silently listen to you."

"Don't laugh at me, Kazuya Mishima…Or is it that you actually want my help?"

"My own power, you foolish woman, is more than enough. Disappear or you're dead."

This time Zafina felt the whole G-Corporation's army pointing their guns at her. Steve's eyes widened. Was that woman such a big threat? She surely wasn't. He had a feeling about this. He was left behind. Anna and Bruce had walked closer to Kazuya. He watched his confident posture and then woman's determent yet unsure expression. He looked around him…He had to do something to help her. All these men pointing their guns at her, and having Kazuya's threats on top of that…A single woman…A single, almost, unarmed woman. You must be joking, he thought…Like Hell he was going to let them hurt another person. He noticed one of the bombs next to his feet. Good thing he didn't step on it, he quickly thought…His eyes took notice of the beautiful woman giving him a glance. He gave her a nod thinking that, maybe, she understood something. He took out his gun and made some steps behind…Now, even he couldn't see them. He nodded to himself…

" _Hope, this will do something."_ He said and closed his eyes…

He threw the bomb in the air with all the strength he had and in an instant he raised his gun and shot the very bomb…

Steve managed to do what he wanted…Being in the desert the whole place felt like it was struck by a tornado. He hoped that no one was dead, even though he would cheer if Kazuya was. Who wouldn't?

Probably one person…

…

The woman heard a loud noise coming from outside. She had been inside here for some hours now and was waiting for him. As expected, he came…She was ready for everything but she wasn't going to let him enter the tomb. Not yet…at least…She touched her chest and tried to figure out what happened. For a moment, she had felt that woman's aura in her surroundings. The one's, who was watching her and Xiaoyu back in Yakushima…

"What should I do if Kazuya is hurt…Would I help him…Should I help him…Or…No, there was no way that he is in danger…" She nodded and brought her hands together…

Jun Kazama left Yakushima just three days ago as she said to Xiaoyu. She was devastated at the thought of the girl being alone in these dark days, since she was more suspicious of Lars Alexandersson than Jun. The older woman could understand her. He was a man, who wished for her son to be dead. Of course, Xiaoyu, who thought of Jin so tenderly and was protective towards him, would never truly believe of that man as a "no threat" one". Everyone is able of everything…That was what the young girl started to believe…

She closed her eyes and opened her palms…A white light started flowing out from them that eventually filled the whole building in the inside. She smiled when she finished and turned behind her…

"That will keep you safe for now…But don't worry, I'll stay with you until he leaves. I won't leave you alone."

…

Outside the tomb, everyone was trying to figure out what had happened. All except Kazuya…The man just put his hand on a right place to prevent the sand from coming in contact with his eyes. He stood there without moving. He noticed as the others were trying to find their vision but the sand was way too much. How did that happen? Steve Fox had his eyes closed and stood at his place. He felt people bumping on top of him but he wouldn't mind them. He just stood there…

Suddenly, he felt a hand grabbing his arm and led him away from the confused crowd…

Steve never opened his eyes. He let the person take him away. Above his uniform's fabric, he could feel a gentle hand holding his arm. The one taking him away was a woman…Was it her? She took him away as fast as she could and when she realized that they weren't seen, she stopped…The sand, still, was making it difficult for her to see but it helped her get away. She had to thank this man. Luckily, at the place where they were, they could have some of their eyesight. She started coughing and placed a hand on her mouth. Steve realized that they arrived, where she wanted to take him, when she took her hand away from his arm. He opened slowly his eyes and, immediately, saw the young woman coughing. He touched her shoulder and said…

"Are you ok? I have some water in my backbag."

The woman shook her head and looked around her once again. She turned her gaze once again back to him and saw his concerned eyes…

"N-No…I'm fine…I want to thank you for what you did back there. It was risky…But still…Anyway, I appreciate it. "

"Uh…Don't thank me, just tell me if they understood that I did it? Hope not."

Zafina shook her head but she still wasn't sure… "I don't know…I have a way to make them think that you weren't but it will mean anything but a "thank you" from my side."

"Who cares? As long as it helps me continue my…Umm…Do what you think."

"Why are you after Kazuya Mishima?" she asked without thinking…

Steve raised an eyebrow confused… "How did you…"

"It doesn't matter. The way you chose to do what you wished…It's a difficult one. Stay safe and don't make rush movements. Think carefully."

He nodded… "O-Ok…About what we were saying…"

Zafina looked at the place where they came from and then back to Steve. She took one of her knives in her right hand and before doing what she had to, she apologized…

…

The sand started to get cleared and Anna realized that the woman, who she wanted her dead since two years ago, had run away…She sighed and tightened her fists…She, then, remembered Steve…She looked around her to find him. She walked between the soldiers, since she remembered that she left him behind. She made quick steps to find him but in the end she noticed that she walked way outside from the place, where they were gathered…However…

Anna Williams watched Steve lying on the sandy ground. She saw his face bleeding and he had his hand grabbing his right leg. Her eyes widened and ran to his place…

"Steve?! What happened? Why are you?"

Steve had his eyes closed. He remembered what this woman told him and she was one hundred percent right. What she did was everything but a thank you. He looked at Anna's concerned expression. Was her concern genuine or not? For now, he didn't care…The only thing preoccupying his mind and body was the pain in his face and leg. That was definitely going to leave a mark. He had already a big one on his arm…What was with that? Well, deep down he knew that, if he was to make it back in the ring, he wouldn't have to think of a nickname… "The scarred man"…If it wasn't for the pain, Steve would seriously been thinking of this in that way…

"Miss Williams…For a moment…I…caught…her but then, she…"

Anna understood what happened. She gritted her teeth and said to the man beside her… "I see…I'll take you to the helicopter, just try to hang in there, ok?"

Steve nodded and watched Anna trying to help him up…The young man felt for a moment that the woman's concern was a real one…

…

 **In front of the tomb…**

Kazuya's eyesight was getting better and he, as well, noticed the woman's absence. He didn't think much about it, since she had disappeared already. He looked behind him and noticed Bruce gathering their soldiers again. For a moment, he wondered, where Anna was but he dismissed the thought quickly…

"Kazuya, are you ok?" Bruce asked him…

The man didn't reply and waved his hand dismissing him. He looked in front of him and made a step forward. As he did that, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Unexpectedly, he smiled…

"Here you are…Jun." he said to himself…

The man looked at Bruce and said… "Gather them and go back. Try to communicate with Anna. If you don't reach her…uh…who cares?"

The other man didn't say anything else and just obeyed him…

…

Kazuya didn't move until he made sure that no one was there. He wouldn't dare seem vulnerable in front of others…Only, Jun saw that side of his and she was the reason it existed in the first place. He raised his hand…He was ready for everything…He would open the door and find her right in front of him with that sad face she had the last time he saw her…or…the smiles she would give him when he spent some days with her…Either side of hers was as scary as the other…

He placed his hand on the gate to push it but he was, suddenly, thrown away. He was taken aback by this. He looked around him but no one was there. In the end, he brought his gaze in front of him and his surroundings changed…

He thought that he was transported to a place, where only black existed. There was nothing else…Only darkness…

But then, she appeared…Walking casually towards him. Jun didn't try anything this time. She saw him standing on an invisible ground and smiled at his clueless face. Kazuya frowned thinking of how she made a fool out of him…

"Where did you take us?"

Jun placed a hand under her chin… "It couldn't be easier for you to understand, my dear Kazuya."

He couldn't understand what she was talking about…But she still had this "irritating" yet calm smile on her face. He touched his head with both of his hands and closed his eyes trying to transform into his one side, who could handle a person as Jun Kazama. He couldn't…He tried again and again but the only thing he managed to do was to cause himself a headache. Jun rushed to his side and said as she touched his shoulder…

"Are you ok?"

He shot her a murderous glare that hurt her deeply… "Get away from me!"

Jun tried to fight her tears back. She wasn't sad because of the way he just talked to her, more like because he was the one being hurt…Why didn't he let her help him? This woman would always wonder that? Was she the only one, who thought that he still had something good inside of him? He remembered once Xiaoyu telling her that she had her reasons for loving him but the older woman knew that she said that to reassure her. As it seemed she was alone in this…As always…

"Kazuya?" she almost whispered… "Let me help you…Trust me…"

"I don't need you."

Jun looked away from him and made some steps back. _I don't need you…I don't need you_ …This phrase of his started to repeat inside her head. In the end, she decided to stay strong. She looked at him again and said… "I understand…I'll be honest, Mishima-san…I didn't take you anywhere. Truth is that…You brought us here. That's why I wonder, as well, how can it be and not realize where we are?"

Kazuya heard her as she stopped calling him by his name…Deep inside he knew that she called him that just to mock him. She was the only one he could see inside here. What does this mean? He was thinking… Did she know where they are? Probably… But…He didn't dare asking her…

"How do you feel by being here?"

She asked him and he stayed silent…

"It hurts…It's painful, isn't it?"

As the woman was talking, Kazuya brought his hand to his heart and closed his eyes. This…She…What was she doing to him? He tried to focus…

In the end, he understood where they were. It was his soul…Yes…Dark but then, there was her…He knew that she was aware of this, she told him herself but he wasn't going to admit it. It would be like he was telling her that you were the only one, I let inside my heart…

"I can release you from this pain…You know I can…If only you let me."

He saw her as she knelt beside him. So bothersome…So irritating…So unbearably hurtful…

"W-What do you want from me?" he asked her…

"You! I want you to come back to me. I'll be stronger this time. I won't disappoint you."

Kazuya stood up. This stupid woman…Did she honestly believe that she did something wrong? How naïve? He noticed as she stood up alongside him and he looked around him. Indeed…It was all black and he had to keep it that way, if he wanted to fulfill his goals. Sometimes, he would think that, if Jun wasn't the one she was, he would be able to have her next to him…but that person wouldn't be her…so…He stopped his thoughts and looked at her…

"I never counted on you to care if you disappoint me or not. You are someone, who just messes with my head. If it wasn't for your powers, you wouldn't affect me in the slightest."

"How can you say that when we…"

"Hm…Have a son together? Is that what you want to say? Good thing you understood your mistake and stopped."

Jun crossed her arms… "Don't misunderstand my words…Our son has nothing to do with this. Don't act like you forgot your words. We were happy back there…That's what I wanted to say…You especially. You never showed it but you were enough kind with me for me to assume that. I know you've changed but you should still accept your past, Kazuya. Back there, you tried to kill your other half…for us to be together. At least, accept that much…"

Kazuya stayed silent. Trying to say something would only make Jun talk more… "Ok…I can't make you change your point of you on our past. In the same time, you can't do the same with me. You, as well, need to understand that. I know you have something inside your mind. Maybe, I can't know what it is yet but I will surely find out. When that time comes…Even your tears won't be able to stop me." He said as he watched helpless tears falling from the woman's eyes…

Jun Kazama couldn't hold her tears anymore. He was cruel…So cruel…In the end, she lost the control of her power and she left Kazuya's soul…

He opened, suddenly, his eyes and realized that he was lying down on the sand. He tried to stand up but his body was sore that he decided to sit down for a moment. It was a mistake to come and face Jun without figuring out first what were her intentions. For now, he decided to leave this place…

 **In the same time…**

 **Inside one of the Mishima Zaibatsu's helicopters…**

"Do we have the polar coordinates already? We're close." Said the pilot…

Lars was communicating with Julia on that matter. She was surprised as well, when Tougou called her and said that they are going after Kazuya. Thankfully, there was Alisa with her and she could manage somehow. It was the first time she was working under so much stress. However, Lars was trying to calm her down to Nina's annoyance…

Amateurs…That was what Nina Williams was thinking of the people this man chose to follow him…

"Yeah…we got them, check your system, Julia's sending them. Nina?!"

The woman without saying anything appeared next to her boss. She didn't know what he possibly wanted. Tougou with Hwoarang were on the other helicopter with the soldiers and here, all they needed to do was to arrive at that damned tomb…

"Say it."

"I'll need you next to me." He said and touched her shoulder…

"That's my job. I won't disappoint you."

When she said that, he gave her a smile and walked his way to the pilot. That guy was way too stressed…she thought…

 **Mishima Zaibatsu**

 **Laboratory…**

Julia Chang threw her glasses on her desk without caring if they broke or not. However, Alisa took them in her hands and smiled when she noticed that they were ok. Her gaze fell on the brunette's sad face. Obviously, she understood the reason. It was the first time for Julia to be in the front lines of a war. Disgusting…But it was for the best. Lars promised…He would better keep his promise or even if she liked him, he will be dead if something happens to her mother. Poor Michelle…Her daughter had to call her since two weeks ago, when in the past, whenever Julia was away, they would talk almost every day. The only thing Michelle Chang wanted from her little girl was a "Hey, mom. I'm ok!".

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. Her heart was beating so fast from her anxiety. Alisa noticed the symptoms and said… "Miss Chang, your body condition is not good. Let me help you."

"Truth is I'm a little…no little…I'm tired. Mostly mentally but for a reason I feel strange."

"It's due to anxiety. Believe me."

Julia smiled and accepted Alisa's help. She saw her as she walked her to a bed and helped her get on it. The pink haired girl made her way to bring her some water and Julia after letting out a weak smile placed her hand above her eyes…

" _Please, guys…Be ok!"_ she thought and didn't notice Alisa being in front of her…

"Oh!" she took the glass from her hand and swallowed it… "Thank you, Alisa! You're always kind with me and help me. How can I make up to you?"

Alisa waved her hands… "No, no…You don't have to."

"But if there's something I can…I…"

"You can't!" she said and looked at the floor…

The other girl raised an eyebrow confused and looked at Alisa's desperate face expression. Her eyes, however, widened, when she witnessed her letting out a big sigh. She touched her hands after setting the glass on a nearby counter and said… "Alisa…Even if I can't help you, as you say, I can always listen to you. Lars has already mentioned that there's something bothering you but he didn't wish to tell me. I'll be more than glad to help you, if I can."

"I want to be with Xiao-onesan. I'm worried about her."

Julia nodded. With that girl, huh? She had never met her personally but Xiaoyu being a sociable young woman made her popular in the tournament. Another reason for that was her connection to Heihachi Mishima and her close friendship with his grandson, Jin Kazama. Unfortunately, as it seemed, she didn't have a way to help her and Alisa knew that. Alisa, probably, considered the fact of telling her just a loss of time…

"Uh…You were right…I can't…umm…s-sorry."

"Please, do not apologize. Your willingness was more than enough to make me happy. Thank you, Miss Chang!"

Julia smiled and caressed her pink hair… "Even if I can't do that…I want you to count on me, ok?"

"Uh…I…appreciate it!"

 **Middle East…**

Zafina was surprised when she witnessed Kazuya Mishima leaving the tomb. Could it be that nothing existed inside there? No, definitely not! He, maybe, wasn't just able to open it…But why? This man with the devil gene…That massive power…Imagine how much greater was the thing that existed inside there. She was frightened for a moment. He wasn't able to get in…Then? What could she do? From whom did she have to protect it, in the end?

Some dust got inside her eyes when she heard two helicopters arriving once again near the tomb. She placed her hand slightly above her eyebrows to help herself see, who it was. The emblem wasn't the one, she remembered from before but she recognized the letters… _Mishima Zaibatsu_ …It was Lars Alexandersson's turn to appear now. How was she supposed to handle him now? She hoped that nothing like that before would happen. She hid behind a huge rock holding her father's knives in her hands and waited for them to make their move…

…

The two helicopters landed on the area and by the time the doors opened, Lars was the first one to step outside with Nina behind him. He looked at his left and watched Tougou alongside Hwoarang walking towards him. He nodded and Tougou nodded back at him…

"Tougou…Everything's ready?"

The Japanese man nodded and said… "Uh…Yes…They're waiting for your command."

"Ok…Tell them to do as you said and the four of us…We're making our way there."

Tougou nodded and walked away. Hwoarang was ready to follow him until Lars touched his shoulder… "Hwoarang? You ready?"

The younger man didn't bother answering him at first… "I must be." He said and closed his eyes for a moment…

Hwoarang remembered Lili's words about confessing to Asuka and all that. The last thing on his mind was, however, his confession. What he hoped for was for these two to be safe and him…And for him to be able to see her again…For that to happen he just needed to do his best. Lars felt bad for him, since due to what Nina told him, he was aware of his problem. However, he was thankful that he wasn't in his situation at times like these. As it seemed, Hwoarang had one hell of a timing…

He gave him a weak smile and a pat on his shoulder before walking away and Hwoarang rolled his eyes… _"I don't need your pity, old man."_ He said in the inside knowing, of course, that Nina told him what she figured out and by that…he meant everything…

"Tougou, you're back. Shall we move?"

The three nodded and followed Lars, who was walking in front of them. The blond man was thinking, if when he would arrive and see Kazuya right in front of the building and all his underlings, how was he supposed to react? He knew that both Tougou and Nina were going to wait for his orders. Well, Hwoarang was in his own world and as he thought of that he gave him a slight glance with the corner of his eye. He seemed completely natural and composed. That guy…So unpredictable. He just hoped that he would act as a soldier during the mission. All in all, Hwoarang's target was Kazuya from the very beginning…

Lars stopped his pace when he found himself some meters away from the tomb. It was so huge and that wasn't a good sign. Imagine what was inside it. And the most confusing thing was that none of Kazuya's underlings were here and especially him. Lars' eyes widened when he came to an assumption. Could it be possible? Could it be possible that Kazuya opened the gate and was already inside? He swallowed hard and started walking even faster confusing the other three, who were trying to keep up with him…

Soon enough, they were right in front of the building. He sighed…Technically he wasn't ready to face him but if it came for the two to fight with each other that wouldn't be a problem. Tougou approached him from behind and stood beside him…

"So this is it, huh?"

"Yeah…Don't you think that this is something Julia would enjoy?" he asked him…

"I guess." Answered Tougou and crossed his arms…

Lars gave a small smile and said before making his way further… "Then, make sure to bring her some time in the future, ok?"

"Huh?"

Nina smiled at what he said and at Tougou's reaction. Another guy, who was way too obvious with his feelings…and of course, another one with a very "good" timing. She turned her eyes to see Hwoarang and sighed when she saw him sitting on the sand like he was sunbathing. She decided to ignore him. She walked beside Lars as well and made him look at her. She cleared her throat and said…

"Well, what are you waiting for? Shall we go in?"

"You're coming with me?"

She nodded. Since Anna wasn't here to wait for Kazuya she was possibly inside there with him…except if she got lost in the way. Everything would be completely natural, if someone was to say that it happened to her…

"Yeah…If Kazuya is inside, so does my sister. I bet you don't want her to be a pain in your ass, so let me take care of her."

Lars remembered the beautiful woman, who was working for Kazuya. It was Nina, who told him that "unfortunately for her, they were sisters". However, Lars, at first, didn't understand why the sisters were fighting with each other…When all came straight to his head, he laughed at himself for his stupid thought. He, himself, was in a war with his own brother, two years ago he wanted to kill his nephew and from the time he learnt of Heihachi Mishima being his father…That was what he was wishing…to be able to kill him one day. Too bad, Hwoarang took that privilege away from him…

"I see…Then, let's go."

The woman nodded and took out one of her guns. Lars turned his head to face Hwoarang and Tougou and his eyes widened as he witnessed his new recruit's position…

"Hwoarang! What are you doing lying on the ground?"

"Don't worry, when it's time for me to shine, I'll do so. Why don't you beat it now?" he said and let out a yawn…

Lars sighed and motioned for Nina to follow him. She nodded and they started walking. He asked from her to stay away as he was walking the stairs. He didn't know why he did it. Maybe, because of the fact that he didn't know what there was inside the building and wanted to keep her at a safe distance. The only thing this woman did was to obey his orders. However, before he was ready to touch the gate a woman appeared behind of him and placed her knife on his throat…

"Make another step and I kill you!" she said and frowned…

Suddenly, she felt a gun at the back of her head. Lars knew who that woman was and smiled. He saw Nina's shadow on the ground and said…

"Nina…Stay behind."

"W-What?" she asked completely confused…

"Do as I said."

The blonde woman didn't say anything else and made her way behind with Tougou and Hwoarang, who just stood up from his position. For a moment, Zafina thought of loosening her knife from his throat but, in the end, she decided against it because you can never know. Lars felt slightly her warm breath on his nape. He couldn't understand the feeling but he felt a very tender shiver ran through his spine. Strange…

"I had a feeling, I would see you again…Zafina."

This time the woman took away her knife from his throat but she was still holding it in her hand. She made a step back and this time Lars Alexandersson turned his whole body to face the woman he had to see, since two years ago. He noticed the sad frown above her eyes and then he heard her voice…

"I didn't…at least, since some time ago."

"What do you mean?" asked Lars suspiciously…

"Kazuya Mishima was here…It's been some hours since he left with his crew but I figured out that you were next, so I decided to wait. Seems like I was right."

"We know that he was here but I didn't expect from him to leave so quickly…except…"

Lars was silent and deep in his thoughts. Zafina tried to read him without making them suspicious. His thoughts were all, if Kazuya managed to open the gate and find out what he wanted. She felt his heartbeats rising in this last case. The woman placed her knife at its place on the belt, she was having around her waist and crossed her arms…

"He didn't manage to do anything, if that is what worries you."

"Then?"

"Then what? Why did you come here? To stop him?"

"Ye…"

"Or to open the gate yourself?" She said and saw the confused expression he was having. Zafina was trying to find out his intentions by asking him different questions concerning him and his reasons. She knew that he was still very emotional and impulsive and she hoped on that…

"I…" It was true that Lars didn't know. He didn't want to lie to himself or the others. He was dead curious to find out what existed inside there but he didn't dare trying to. He wasn't afraid or anything. He was confident in his abilities. What was worrying him was if he would be able to control the evil energy. Anyway, Lars wasn't like Kazuya or Jin…

"In situations like this, you understand how greedy people can be in the sight of a possible massive power, which are about to claim. So disappointing and…sad."

Zafina's words took his attention… "Sad?"

"I may have chosen this way of life but that doesn't mean, I'm not informed. Why did you take over the Mishima Zaibatsu? I believed in you…but now I'm disappointed. I don't know what to do."

"Taking over the company doesn't have to do anything with my beliefs. People need sometimes a stepping stone to fulfill their goals and I'm one of them."

A smirk appeared on her beautiful face… "You talk about some interesting things. A stepping stone you say…Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima acted the same way, if you think more clearly of it. Using people or their power as stepping stones. What makes you different? You maybe still haven't but, who knows? Who's going to be the "sacrifice" for your goals to be fulfilled?"

"I don't intent to do any of that. I'm tempted, as everyone would be, to open that thing…but I won't. All that because I don't want to risk the lives of the people, who believed in me. Ones like you were in the past." He said and gave her a smile… "I always wanted to thank you and, honestly, I was hoping for you to appear."

"Why that?" she said and raised an eyebrow…

"Because your words back there were making sense. You seemed that you believed every of what you were saying. I mean…since the situation is kind of similar…I was hoping for you to help me."

Zafina made a step back and her arms fell on her sides. Definitely not! She wouldn't make any other mistakes. All these people are lost cases. She's not going to be deceived from his words. Lars noticed her disapproving expression and thought again what he asked her. He understood her a little. Zafina believed that he was the savior but, in the end, it was Jin. However, why did she think so highly of him two years ago? He was confused because of that back then, but didn't have the chance to ask her. But, despite of that, Zafina and her knowledge could help them a lot.

The woman sighed and a weak smile appeared on her lips… "Help you? What makes you think I could even consider that?"

Lars looked behind him and saw the three people he brought with him. His gaze turned back to Zafina and making a step towards her direction, he said… "Can we talk somewhere…the two of us?"

Her eyes widened when she heard him. What could he possibly want by asking her to talk with her in private? She tried to read his aura, once again, trying to figure out of any possible clues concerning his intentions. She couldn't find anything, yet. Maybe, indeed, if it was just the two of them, she would have the chance…

"F-Fine…I want to believe that it's only the two of us. None of your underlings."

Lars nodded and walked close to her. He turned his head and said to the others… "Guys, you go back to the helicopters. When I'm finished I'll come to find you."

Tougou nodded and they started walking away…

…

"So? Is there a place we can talk?"

A smirk appeared on the woman's lips. Now she had the upper hand but she still wasn't sure about how to handle him. Is there a possibility that the guru could help her? She nodded. She decided to take him with her back at the village. She wasn't particularly happy about it but she didn't have another choice. She started walking away from the tomb without saying any words. Lars sighed confused and followed her… "Zafina?" he called her…

The woman continued walking to her village's destination… "I'm going to take you to my village."

"Huh? Why?"

She stopped her pace and turned her head to face him. She saw the look full of question he was wearing… "You're going to speak with the leader of my village. That's the person, I'm taking orders from. Talking to him is like talking to me."

Lars nodded and Zafina started walking again. He wasn't really prepared to talk with another person besides her but she, definitely, had her reasons for doing this. Well, maybe in the end, she didn't trust him anymore. Noticing that she was far away from him, he ran to catch up with her…

…

While the other three were making their way back, Nina caught Hwoarang having an idiotic smile on his face. She rolled her eyes. She, then, looked at Tougou, who was wearing a smile, as well, but not as idiotic as the red haired man's. _These two idiots_ …

Suddenly, Hwoarang tripped by himself and fell on the sandy ground. He gritted irritated his teeth. So lame, he thought. Even though he was standing on the ground he felt that someone was ready to laugh at him. And guess who this person is?

"That's for being lost in your wonderland. Pay attention to where you stand next time." She said and heard Tougou saying to her…

"You don't have to comment on everything he does. Mind your own business." He turned his head to Hwoarang, who was confused since it was a first that Tougou supported him and just didn't let it pass… "And you, Hwoarang, stand up and let's go."

The other man nodded and saw the other two walking away. As he tried to stand up, he noticed a card being almost buried in the sand. He raised an eyebrow and proceeded to take it in his hand. His eyes widened, when he noticed, whose it was and what it was about… _"What does he want with them?"_ he thought and before leaving he placed the card inside his pocket…

 **Japan, Yakushima…**

Ling Xiaoyu had just finished with her job in one of the flower shops in the area. Yakushima was a very beautiful forest, with different kind of flowers and seeds. Once in a while, Xiaoyu and Jun would have walks at these specific places to gather flowers for the house's vases. Both of them liked a colorful environment and believed that with decorating the house or garden with flowers helped in that…

Today, she was paid and for that reason she went and bought some bamboo for Panda, since from the time Jun left, her pet never left her side wanting to keep her safe. She deserved that much. Panda was already having one inside her mouth and Xiaoyu was having in a paper bag the other two. The young woman looked at the sky. The sun was setting little by little. For an unknown reason, whenever she brought her gaze to the sky, she would remember Jun. How was she doing? Was she safe or hurt? When is she going to be back? A sigh escaped her lips and Panda looked concerned at her. When she was ready to try and comfort her mistress, a familiar presence got her attention being deeper inside the forest. The animal started running there and the bamboo fell from her mouth. Xiaoyu was startled by all this and without having any clue she followed Panda…

She led her to the big lake of the forest. Xiaoyu was thankful that she stopped running and tried to catch her breath… "Pa…Ah…Panda? What is it?"

Panda didn't answer her question and this time she walked to the place, where she spotted someone. For a moment she stopped and turned her furry head to see Xiaoyu. The girl raised an eyebrow confused and then witnessed Panda motioning her with her paw the place that got her attention. The girl looked at where Panda asked her to and her heart stopped for a moment. Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard. She ran there and Panda did the same…

"Jun!?" Xiaoyu shouted and kneeled beside the woman…

The older woman was lying on the ground with her clothes almost teared apart and her black shoulder length hair messed up. She had barely her senses but she was too tired to use them. Xiaoyu's eyes got teary as she witnessed Jun's terrible condition. What happened? She wanted to ask her. She took off the cardigan she was wearing and placed it around Jun's shoulders. Panda walked close to her as well and stood above her trying to keep her warm. The younger girl took her into her arms and placed away the hair, which was covering her face… "Jun…Why are you…What happened?"

The woman brought her hand to Xiaoyu's cheek and caressed it. In an instant, the girl touched her hand and noticed how cold it was… "Are…you…ok?" asked Jun trying to breathe normally…

Xiaoyu felt that her tears were close enough to fall. She looked at Panda and if like her pet understood what she wanted from her, she lowered her back and helped Xiaoyu move Jun onto her back. Xiaoyu did the same and proceeded to hold the woman in her arms. Jun feeling more comfortable placed her head on the young girl's chest and let her take care of her…

…

Without Xiaoyu noticing it, Panda had brought them home. She hopped off her back and asked from Panda to bring Jun inside, while she would be preparing the bath for her. She placed, with her pet's help, Jun inside the bathtub full with hot water. She noticed that her expression loosened and sighed in relief. Xiaoyu bathed the older woman's hair and her body. The last thing she thought would be Jun's embarrassment, even though deep inside, she knew that she wouldn't mind. When she noticed that the water was getting cold, she asked from Panda to help her get out the woman from the bathroom. She wrapped a white towel around her body and placed her on Panda's back…

They took her inside her bedroom and the animal rested Jun on her bed. Xiaoyu placed her more comfortably and covered her with a blanket. She fixed the pillow under Jun's head and with her lips touching slightly the older woman's forehead checked her temperature. Xiaoyu relaxed when she noticed that she didn't have a fever. Jun was still having her eyes closed and the black haired girl thought of letting her rest for some time, while she would prepare something for her to eat when she wakes up. However, when she turned to leave, Jun grabbed her wrist and Xiaoyu stopped. She sat beside her and whispered… "Can I do something for you?"

The woman shook slowly her head and without noticing it, tears started falling from her eyes. Xiaoyu watched them falling and she felt the same way. She felt her tears wanting to fall from her eyes. Not managing to hold it anymore, Xiaoyu closed her eyes and let them fall… "Why are you crying?" Jun asked her…

"Jun…What happened? Tell me…"

The woman's lips turned downwards. She wanted to tell her but in the same time she felt that Xiaoyu would find her pathetic or…pitiful…

"Tell me." She said again…

A small sigh left her lips. She didn't care if the girl beside her couldn't understand her but she felt that way…She couldn't do anything about it…

"It's Kazuya…"

Xiaoyu's eyes widened… "What did he do to you? He fought you, didn't he?"

The other woman shook her head and a frown appeared above her eyes… "Then?"

"He…He said that…That he doesn't need me. That he wants me to disappear. I said that I wouldn't disappoint him this time but still…"

The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jun disappointing Kazuya? He should be the one begging her to forgive him. But she didn't expect less from her. How much in love was she with him? But in the same time…Is there a meter in love? Xiaoyu wanted to understand her but, in the end, she couldn't and that's because she wasn't Jun Kazama and didn't know how she was seeing through things…

" _Oh Jun…"_ she said in the inside…

"He said that I was the only one, who thought that we were happy…Then, does this mean, that he never…Have any feelings for me?"

Xiaoyu didn't know how to reply…

She watched Jun bringing her hand to her chest… "That really…hurt me."

The younger girl hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. She felt Jun whimpering in her embrace and closed her eyes. In the end, she said almost in a whisper…

"From now on, I won't let anyone hurt you…I promise."

Xiaoyu decided to get serious this time. She wasn't going to leave Jun take it upon herself once again. As it seemed it was time to do her thing. It's Asuka Kazama's turn to handle things now. She would do everything to make sure the girl was going to realize her power and what she was supposed to do with it…

She wasn't going to let Jun suffer anymore…

 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 14

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 14**

 **Middle East…**

 **Zafina's village…**

A young man smiled when he saw the woman, who was going to be his priority and his most important person, standing by the doorway of her house. However, she didn't have the expression full of excitement, which she usually had when they were together. Well, she probably didn't notice him but still, this face was something he had never seen on her before. But…this expression wasn't unfamiliar to him. A memory of Zafina gazing at the starry sky entered his mind. He was a small kid back there and he was following her around constantly. That woman was so mysterious and difficult to read, well she still is, but now he could understand things on his own. He remembered when he went that time back then and touched the edge of her dress…

" _Zafina?"_

 _The woman turned to look at him and smiled. She placed her hand gently on his head and kneeled beside him. A blush appeared on the boy's face, when she did that. He saw her as she caressed tenderly his cheek and then placed her hand on his shoulder…_

" _Yes, Faris? You want something with me?"_

" _Why are you here? You are always coming here alone. Why? I can be with you, if you want."_

 _Zafina giggled and stood up. She took her hand with the boy's and pointed at the dark sky… "Do you like the stars?"_

" _I…it's not like…I don't hate them."_

" _Hehe…A diplomatic answer, I see."_

" _What does this mean?" he asked raising his head…_

 _But the woman wasn't looking at him. She returned to her previous confusing, to him, face expression. He noticed a frown being created above her eyes and how it ruined her beauty. Faris didn't talk again, instead he stayed there with Zafina, holding her hand, and stared at the sky…_

The young man walked towards the girl and crossed his arms. She still didn't see him, again. He cleared his throat and touched her shoulder. The girl was startled and looked angrily at him… "You scared me! Is that how you treat your future wife?"

"The last thing I wanted was to scare you, Amina…But tell me this, it's not like you to space out like that?"

Amina sighed and walked inside her house motioning for the man to follow her. She sat down and he followed after her. Faris saw as usual right through her. It was true that she wasn't good with the "trying to hide feelings" thing. She believed that people need to make others aware of their feelings, even if those were negative. It's better to be an honest person than a hypocrite. She tightened her fists and closed her eyes. The man extended his hand and caressed her hair. Amina snapped his hand away and his eyes widened… "What's wrong?"

"You can't understand!"

Of course he couldn't, since even herself didn't know what was happening to her. Her head was a mess, from the time Zafina left and wasn't beside her. Amina had a bad feeling about this. She remembered Zafina telling her that she wouldn't be late and it's been hours since then. The sun was setting already and she was still missing. She, then, remembered something. Zafina told her that she was supposed to go and practice. Same was happening usually with the man next to her as well…

"Of course, I can't since you're not telling me and even if I couldn't in the end, I would listen to you."

Amina ignored his words and touched his lap making him look strangely at her… "A-Amina?"

"You usually practice with my sister, don't you?"

"Uh…yeah…What's with this? Don't tell me!" The man stood up and touched his head… "Did anything happen to _my_ Zafina?"

The young girl rolled her eyes at him. Ok, she knew that he was idolizing her sister but he could, at least, do it when she wasn't around. For a moment, she questioned her decision in agreeing to marry him. Imagine how he will react when and if Zafina ever gets married? He would probably be against it using the "I'm the brother now" card. Amina stood up and crossed her arms… "That's what worries me, too. She said that she was going to practice but it's been hours since then."

"She's not at our training place. I was there, I mean…But don't let that get to you. Zafina is a veteran, she probably thought that we would be a bother to her… _What am I saying?_ "

"My sister would never think like that. "

Faris nodded thinking that this was indeed true. Most of the times, she was practicing with them, as she did with him once before. He sighed and asked her…

"I can go and look for her, ok?" he turned away to walk outside but he felt her hand grabbing his shirt…

"No!" she said instinctively…

Something inside her heart made her say that. She looked at the ground without letting go of him. The man turned to see her and touched her hands. He noticed how cold they were. He started to panic as well. He's going to be her husband and he had to take the situation in his hands…

"Why don't we visit the guru for now?"

In a flash everything came straight to her mind. All her questions were going to be answered if only she visited this man. Amina couldn't deal with him, since in reality she didn't quite like him. He made Zafina his errand girl without her even realizing it. However, the young girl didn't imagine that by wanting to find the answers to her questions, she was going to learn something more…Something, she definitely wouldn't wish to know…

"That's it! Let's go to him. I bet he knows where my sister is."

…

 **Outside the village…**

Zafina stopped her pace when she noticed her small village coming into their eyesight. She felt Lars stopping beside her and felt his gaze on her. Was she doing the right thing? How was the guru going to react when he would see this man in front of him? On the back of her mind, she thought that he might be already aware of this, since she didn't know the extent of this man's powers. Zafina didn't have a chance against him. This old man was the only one, who could see right through her. A sigh escaped her lips at this thought. Yes. She was sure that he knew. She found strange the fact that Lars didn't question her for anything. Could it be real the fact that he trusted her and believed everything she said? Or didn't have anything to say? She noticed him moving his body like he was searching for something. She turned her head to his direction and her eyes widened…

"What do you think you're doing?!" In the end, Zafina pulled out her knives once again… "Was this your purpose all along? To get rid of me all by yourself?"

Lars let out a sigh without being agitated from Zafina's accusation and current threat of his life. He placed his weapon inside his back belt and by doing that, he noticed the woman relaxing her arms letting them fall on her sides. He smiled at her and started walking slowly away from her, when he thought that the small community in front of them might be her village…

Zafina wasn't moving making him stop. He looked at her and said with a small smile… "Secure and make less visible my weapons. The last thing I want is for the children of your village to see me like this. Dressed in an army's uniform."

Zafina sighed in relief and touched her chest… "Uh…I see. I apologize."

"I wouldn't blame you. I mean, you have every right to be suspicious of us."

The woman nodded to herself and walked towards him after putting her knives in their place around her waist… "We have to move. Let's not lose any more time."

Lars saw her passing by him and looked at her back. This woman was always mysterious but now…He found her exceptionally interesting. After releasing these thoughts of his, he followed her once again…

…

 **Middle East…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Camp**

"Sir, we're done with reorganizing the equipment."

The auburn haired man glanced at the young man, who was saluting in front of him. At first he stayed silent watching the soldier standing without moving his body and with his head up. He scratched the back of his head and sighed…

"I'm..I'm awaiting your orders, sir."

Another man appeared behind the soldier that made the other one stand up. The man walked in front of the soldier and gave him a nod… "For now you can go back and rest."

For some time, the soldier stayed at his place, since he had orders from the other one…

"You can go." Said the auburn haired man and the soldier walked away after bowing one more time to the other two…

He was watching the soldier walking away but then, he turned his attention back to the black haired man. He sighed and he looked at him…

"What's wrong, Hwoarang?"

Hwoarang blinked his eyes several times as he heard him addressing to him. Actually, there was nothing really wrong. He just couldn't realize what happened and what's going to happen. And how the hell a card with Steve's name as a member of G-Corporation was found here? Tougou didn't know. Nina didn't know…and of course not him. And even if they did, there was a chance that they could forget to tell him. By the way, not to mention the so called boss Lars Alexandersson. This guy should better give up his position as the CEO and pass it, for the good of it, to Tougou. Yeah, this man was dependable. Not that Lars wasn't but Hwoarang had to admit that Lars and himself were impulsive individuals, when such a company needed a more composed person. In reality though, Lars Alexandersson wasn't even interested in being called the CEO of a company. He needed that kind of power until he succeeds his goals. Then…His thoughts didn't go that far…

Tougou crossed his arms as he was waiting from him to answer. He noticed him not paying attention and that made him shook his head. He sighed and turned to walk away. Just in time, Hwoarang said…

"Thanks."

The man raised an eyebrow as turned slightly his head… "What are you talking about?"

Hwoarang bit his upper lip and stood up. He placed his hand on his face trying to hide his obvious ridiculous blush. Saying "thanks" was something he would rarely say. Tougou, in the end, turned his whole body to face him. He saw a frown above Hwoarang's eyes and how aimlessly was looking around him. What's with that guy? He wasn't here to play the "Guess" game? He had already a lot in his mind. Starting with how Lars was doing and ending with how…Julia was doing. It was special, the fact that these two had the _same_ problem in the _same_ time, though Hwoarang didn't care about Lars that much…

"Oh for fuck's sake, don't be like that too, ok?" said Hwoarang crossing his arms…

"You mean? I, actually, have a lot inside my mind, so you better talk and not let me guess."

He rolled his eyes when he heard Tougou talking like this but he couldn't say anything. Just a moment ago, he called him dependable and more capable to handle the Zaibatsu… "Well…About before…with Nina."

Tougou looked at him and sighed. That was all?! Seriously?! "Uh…You're talking about that."

"Right. Thanks." He said once again, this time looking at the sandy ground…

"No problem."

Hwoarang smirked mockingly and said to him when he noticed him rubbing his nape… "Well, duh! You're the same."

That took him by surprise. He understood that Nina was talking about a possible lover of his inside the second base but aside from that. How did he know about his feelings for Julia? He could admit that only Lars was able to see right through him and that was just one time in the past… "Huh?"

Tougou tightened his fists. He felt his palms sweating. He knew that this wasn't something to worry about but still…it was embarrassing for a man like him. He placed his hand on his face to hide it just like Hwoarang did before. The younger man smiled when he saw his reaction. He walked in front of him and touched his shoulder…

"Do your best, ok man? And soon…or else…some sneaky guy might steal her from you." With that he took his hand away and Tougou removed his own from his face letting it fall on his side…

"Not me though." Hwoarang added…

As he was trying to regain his composure, he gave him a small smile and raised an eyebrow…

"At least you admit that you're sneaky and, also,…"

"That's not my point." Said Hwoarang interrupting him…

Tougou looked at the crew. He noticed them having…well…he couldn't know for sure. What was the time difference between Japan and…God knows where? Probably, only god knew…Anyway, they were eating, something that made him realize that he was quite hungry himself. He turned to look at Hwoarang and noticed him looking at something he was holding. He had a serious expression…

"What's this? What are you holding?" he asked him…

Hwoarang was startled by his sudden question. He covered the item from him by tightening it inside his strong grip… "Eh? This? It's nothing…It was something mines that I forgot to take it off when we left from Japan."

Tougou wasn't stupid enough to believe him but he let it be. He looked at his soldiers again and then back to Hwoarang… "Anyway, are you hungry?"

The man smiled widely and stretched his body… "Oh man, for sure I am. Being satisfied is so damn relieving. I want to eat everything."

"Satisfied…Relieving…I can understand what you mean…but…"

"But?"

He turned his back to him and started walking motioning for him to follow him… "You're not making it any better. Acting like the way you do. Of course, you make her start involving herself in your stuff…Nina, I mean. Even I find her "meddling" annoying."

"But Tougou…Don't you understand how I feel? If I'm happy, then I'm happy. What do you want me to do? Hide it?"

"Yes, exactly! Hide it. Keep your enthusiasm for when we go back. Until we step our feet on Japanese ground, we're still on this mission."

Tougou's answer made him realize that he was right… "Though, there's a chance for you to stay with us for some days."

"WHAT?!"

No one said to him that he was going to continue staying at the main base. That guy was probably making fun of him. Yeah, that was it. However, when he brought his gaze to glance at the man, he saw how serious he was…

"Why are you surprised? Our appearance here was completely pointless. We'll need to make another plan."

"You've got a point." He whispered letting out a desperate disappointed sigh…

"And something else."

"What?"

"Why are you relieved? Don't forget why you're doing all this, Hwoarang. And I mean, the reason you decided to aid Lars, in the end. Your original goals."

Tougou's words made him realize a lot. There was a reason he was doing all this. He was definitely not doing it for some girl. When he accepted Lars proposal, he was having in his mind only the revenge he wanted to have against Kazuya. In the inside, he apologized to his master, for forgetting that he must be his priority for as long as it takes. No…Until he has his revenge…

" _That guy's right…I'm never going to act like an immature brat again. I won't disappoint you, Master, any further."_

…

 **Middle East…**

 **Guru's house…**

"Amina, promise me you won't be aggressive towards the Master." Said Faris before letting her enter the guru's house by grabbing her wrist…

The woman looked hurt at him. She couldn't believe that the man she was going to marry didn't share her feelings. As it seemed, Zafina had indeed a big impact inside the young man's worldview. Making him even "blind" when it came to their leader. Faris released her wrist when he noticed his tight grip on it. However, he was more afraid of the look on the young woman's pretty face. Her lips turned downwards and her hands were cold. All she felt was betrayal. She didn't dare call Zafina a traitor but it was easier with Faris. He wasn't her family, yet. The man raised his hand for a moment. He wanted to touch her but he didn't in the end. All he wanted was to calm her down but he wasn't intending to spoil or comfort her. Amina cared for her sister, didn't she? She was always saying to him how bad she felt for her having everyone's fate onto her shoulders. He tightened his fists and raised his head. He was determined to make her really understand Zafina's feelings…

"How can you ask this from me? He's always troubling my sister. I need to stop that."

The man smirked mockingly towards her… "It's hopeless, Amina. Hehe…"

"What…Faris?"

"In the end, you will never going to understand Zafina…I feel kinda sorry for you."

Her eyes widened when she heard being sneered at by her own fiancé. Sorry for her? There was no other person, who could understand Zafina more than her own sister. However, there was probably one…Their mother. A frown appeared above her eyes and she looked away avoiding eye contact with the man in front of her. For a moment, Faris thought that he took it way too far. The last thing he wanted was the two sisters being mad at him and the most important…Zafina being disappointed in him. But he couldn't back down, it was enough that Zafina spoiled her and as her future husband, he wasn't intending to do the same…

Amina looked at the man angrily. She hesitated for a moment but in the end, she opened her mouth only to be interrupted by…

"Faris, that's not a way to treat your future bride." Said the guru touching slightly Amina's shoulder…

The young man's eyes widened at his sudden appearance and he bowed in an instant in front of him… "Master, I apologize…for creating such a scene outside your house. Please, forgive us."

The older man smiled and removed his hand from the young woman's shoulder. He placed his hands behind his back and said while staring at the man, who was kneeling in front of him… "Stand up, my child."

Faris raised his head to look at the man and gave him a nod. He raised his body and stood still in front of the man…

"Faris, Amina. Even though, I have an idea why…Could you tell me how can I help you?"

There was silence from the other two and the guru looked at the girl's side making her look at him… "Amina? Will you listen to me?"

"What do you mean?"

The man smiled at her clueless expression and pointed at his house… "Let's go inside for now, shall we?"

Amina looked at Faris, who was still standing in front of the guru showing all his respect… "Don't worry, my dear. Faris will join us as well."

That made him blink his eyes and watched the guru walking inside with Amina following him hesitantly. For a second, she stopped and looked at him with a pleading expression. She extended her hand to him. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with that man. There was no way she could deal with him. Faris sighed and took her hand with his helping her make their way inside the small house…

The couple entered the house and watched the guru sitting on the ground. He smiled at them pointing at the two seats opposite him. Amina looked at her fiancé trying to avoid the guru's gaze. The man frowned at her childish behavior and pushed her gently further inside the house. He sat her on the pillow taking afterwards the seat beside her. The woman was looking at her lap not wanting to listen to what the older man wanted to tell her. She was afraid to find out something bad about her sister. But was it just that? Faris glanced at her and sighed closing slightly his eyes. He touched her hand and made her look at him. The girl placed her other hand on top of his making him smile. The gentle warmth of his hand and his reassuring smile raised a little her spirits. The young woman looked slowly at the guru and said…

"Master, you asked me to listen to you when I was the one, who came here. What's the meaning of this?"

The man smiled at her and stood up. He walked to his library and searched through some books. He couldn't count how many times he had read them already. Soon enough, he found a small journal and took it in his hands. A nostalgic yet sad smile crossed his lips. He blew the dust away and opened it. Indeed, it was the right one. He gazed at the other two watching them whispering to each other. He smiled once again thinking that in the end Zafina wouldn't have to worry about her sister. Faris was strong enough to protect her and, also…Amina herself would be able to defend herself…

Amina and Faris watched the man approaching them once again and took a seat opposite them. He set a red notebook on the floor in front of them and crossed his arms. He witnessed their clueless expressions and closed his eyes…

"Amina, my child."

The young woman clenched her fists and mumbled… "Y-Yes?"

"This journal is for you."

"For me?" she asked pointing at herself…

The man nodded and gave it to her… "Truly…Though, it's not yours. It was supposed to be read by your sister."

"Then, why don't you give it to her?"

"She doesn't need it. That's why. Open it."

She did as he asked her and turned slowly the pages. The journal seemed old enough. She soon noticed the date. So many years ago…Ten…Nine years? It should have been around there. She couldn't recognize the handwriting and not only that…If it was supposed for Zafina to read it…then, that meant that it had to do with…that…thing…Amina looked at the guru, who was staring at her all this time. She suddenly closed the journal and set it on the floor…

"Why are you giving this to me? It's obvious that it has to do w-with the…Anyway…"

"Do you want to understand your sister's feelings?"

Amina nodded…

"Unfortunately, you wouldn't even if you were supposed to ask her. Or even me? That's why you came, right?"

She stayed silent and glanced at the red journal in front of her… "Yes, Master." She heard Faris talking on her behalf…

"Faris?!"

The young man ignored her and looked away. The guru watched them but he finally set his gaze at the young woman. She didn't resemble her sister in the slightest but she was an exact copy of her mother. The way she was carrying her body, her expressions and…the same fear she had when she started realizing her powers. As it seemed, Zafina took it a step further, that the two sisters could possibly have their powers awakened in the same time. He decided to prepare Amina but he wouldn't dare let Zafina know…

"Amina, this journal belonged to your mother."

Her eyes widened when she heard that. Her mother? This was her mother's handwriting? She took the journal in her hands once again and opened it. She didn't care about the content right now. The only thing she did was to caress her mother's words. She wrote them with her own hand. A tear fell from her eye and Faris caressed her back. He knew himself how Amina missed her but…no…It wasn't miss…more like, she couldn't even remember her clearly. Maybe, that was the reason why she got over her death much easier than her father and Zafina. She remembered her father crying and blaming himself for his wife's death but she never saw her sister crying. She had seen them though…Zafina's tears were always silent. They were just falling from the corners of her eyes. But why?

"Are you going to read it?"

"Yes."

"Don't let Zafina know, alright?" he asked her…

She nodded and stood up making the man beside her do the same. The guru smiled at her answer and watched Faris bowing at him…

"Master, thank you for your time."

"Don't worry, Faris. You must go and train."

"M-Must? Don't tell me, Master. Zafina is in danger after all?"

Amina's eyes widened and looked at him… "Yes! My sister. What happened to her?"

"Your sister is already here, Amina." He said and pointed at her direction. Amina followed his hand and spotted her sister. A satisfied smile crossed her lips and ran to her side…

Faris was ready to follow her being relieved from the fact that Zafina was safe, however, the guru touched his shoulder and stopped him… "M-Master?"

"My child, you have already realized it, haven't you? That Amina…"

The young man looked at the ground and sighed. He managed to bring his gaze back to the guru and nodded… "What should I do, Master?"

…

 **Middle East…**

 **Outside Zafina's village…**

The woman felt her palms sweating with each step they were making towards her village. They were so close…How was her people going to react when they will see the man next to her? She had to admit that his aura wasn't hostile. It never was…She had a feeling that the guru was going to "welcome" him but no…someone could say that she was sure about it. On the other hand, she was the one, who didn't know what she wanted. To accept him or not allow him to use her powers? B-But…wasn't that supposed to be her decision? No…Zafina was always doing what was best for her people. She was never going to put herself above them, since in reality she was the one, who was protecting them…

Lars could feel the awkward atmosphere coming from her. It wasn't like that the last time, he met her. He wanted to talk to her and ask her if he could do something for her. He sighed when he realized that he would be the last one, who could help such a strong woman as her. He shook his head after touching it but his eyes widened slightly when he noticed the woman looking at him…

"Yes?" he said…

Zafina pointed in front of her and then looked at him… "We're inside my village's land right now."

"Uh…I can see that." Lars watched where Zafina was pointing…

Up close the village was so beautiful. Even from this distance he was able to hear the children's voices. They seemed so happy but he knew that this was something that was making Zafina sad. And that's because she knew that it wasn't going to last for more…

"Please, be careful, alright?" she asked and walked further inside…

Lars was aware of what she meant. To not scare or "intimidate" unconsciously her fellow villagers. She cared about them so much. Indeed, that was some amazing and interesting woman… "I promise, don't worry." He said and smiled…

The woman was ready to give him a small smile but she decided against it. It wasn't time for smiles and…and…Whatever…

"Good. Let's go see the guru immed…"

"Zafina, be careful, ok?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked confused until she felt some delicate arms hugging her from behind…

"Sister!"

The woman's eyes widened and turned behind her holding her sister's small shoulders. She noticed her teary eyes and her worried expression. She's been away for some hours now. Of course, she would get her worried. She was careless once again. Amina hugged tightly her sister as she buried her head inside her chest. Zafina smiled slightly and caressed her sister's back…

Lars was taken aback when he heard the girl calling the woman next to him her sister. He knew that she was probably loved inside her village and assumed that this girl was just someone, who admired her. But no…in the end, it was her sister…

Amina released her sister and looked at Lars. A blush appeared on her face and she wiped her tears. She brought her gaze back to Zafina, who smiled at her once again. She shook her head and walked in front of Lars. She looked intensely in his eyes trying to find out anything suspicious. She didn't and smiled making the man return her smile. Amina bowed slightly in front of him surprising both him and Zafina. She raised her body, afterwards, and extended her hand…

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amina. Zafina's sister."

However, Lars kneeled on one knee and took her hand with his making her cheeks a bit brighter. He kissed the back of her hand and said…

"The pleasure's all mine…Amina. You are a very healthy and beautiful young woman."

"Hehe…You're embarrassing me…umm…"

He laughed slightly and stood up… "I'm Lars."

Amina nodded at him with a satisfied expression. The man in front of her, even though she didn't know his intentions, had kind eyes and a warm smile. Amina didn't have her sister's powers but she was aware of herself being able to read a person. She looked at her sister, who was staring confused at the two…

"Zafina, why are you here with…L-Lars?"

The other two exchanged glances not knowing how to reply. In the end, the man took her small hand with his and said… "Zafina promised to show me your beautiful village."

"Uh…I can do that better than sister. Choose me! Me!"

Lars looked at Zafina and she gave him a nod. It was a good sign that Amina felt comfortable around this man. Her little sister was a very suspicious person. Even worse than she was. But she seemed to like him. Seeing that, Zafina thought that the whole village might possibly accept him. Who would have guessed?

"Alright, Amina…But can I ask you for a favor?"

"Uh…sure. What is it?"

Lars pointed behind her and showed her a tall black haired man holding a knife in his hand. He was looking suspiciously and angrily at the man, who was close to the two sisters. Lars was able to feel his dark aura even from this distance. Not that the man tried to hide it. Who was he anyway?

Amina let out a sigh and Zafina smiled at her sister's reaction… "Faris, lower your knife."

"Why? Who's this foreigner? Zafina? Why aren't you doing anything?"

"Grr…He's…"

Amina tried to say his name but Lars touched her shoulder to stop her. He walked closer to the man, who made a hesitant step back. That guy was tall himself, he thought. Lars stopped when he was close and extended his hand towards him. Faris put his knife at the place, where it was supposed to be and crossed his arms… "Who are you? What's your busyness here?"

Lars let his arm fall to his side… "I'm Lars Alexandersson."

"And?"

From behind them, Zafina sighed wearily making them look at her. Faris' eyes widened. That "sigh" coming from Zafina made obvious that she was annoyed. He saw the two sisters walking towards them and he bowed in front of Zafina… "Forgive me, Zafina…I just got…you know…I thought of him as a threat, I mean look how he's dressed."

"Does it matter?" said Amina looking down at her fiancé… "Does how you dress make you a bad or a good person?"

No one said a thing, until Zafina touched the man, who raised his body. Zafina walked ahead of them and they followed her…

"Amina?"

"Yes, sister?" the girl answered as she held Lars' hand once again…

"For now, you'll have to wait. You will show him the village a little later."

"Why?" she asked pouting…

"Because we need to visit the Master, first."

Lars felt the young girl's hand tightening around his. She probably didn't notice it… "In the end, you brought Lars here for that man?"

Zafina ignored her sister and looked at Faris, who stood straight in front of her… "Faris?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please, take Amina home. We have busyness to do."

"Sister?" Amina released Lars' hand and walked in front of her sister… "Why?"

"You will know later. Now please, make it a little easier for me, ok?"

The young girl looked at Lars once again and then walked next to Faris. She noticed how tired her sister looked and she didn't want to make it worse for her. She nodded to her and watched as the two were walking towards that man's isolated house…

…

 **Middle East…**

 **Guru's house…**

The old man, beside the age he was in, truth to be told he didn't remember how old he was actually, could see pretty well. He was watching all this time the four of them talking and some arguments between the two sisters. But what surprised him was how easily Amina liked the man, who was probably going to take her sister away from her. He smiled and walked inside his small house when he noticed Zafina and that man walking towards his house. He made his way towards his big cupboard and took outside one of his finest wines. Well, all wise men were drunkards…He was no exception. He took three cups from the same cupboard and then carefully closed it. He sat down on one of the comfortable pillows and waited for the two to come…

Sometime later, Zafina looking obviously weary and exhausted walked inside his house and bowed. The man smiled… "You came with him, my child?"

The woman raised her body and nodded… "I did. He's here. He's waiting for you to allow him the entrance."

"Such a gentleman. Tell him to come inside."

Hearing the guru's words Zafina walked towards the door and motioned for Lars to come in. The man hesitantly made the first step inside the man's house. He noticed the old man sitting on a pillow on the ground and bowed slightly. The older man smiled at him and pointed at the other two pillows opposite him for him and Zafina…

"Lars Alexandersson, come inside."

Zafina left Lars' side and walked towards the guru. She sat opposite him as he asked but turned her head when she realized that Lars wasn't next to her. She saw him looking confused as to how this man knew his name and such…

"How do you know my name?"

The guru cleared his throat and pointed opposite him once again. Lars this time obeyed and sat next to Zafina. He still waited for an answer, though…

"You see…My dear Zafina has talked to me a lot about you."

The woman's eyes widened at the shameless truth coming out from the guru's mouth… "M-Master…What are you…"

"She believes greatly in you." He said once again ignoring the woman…

Zafina touched her head and looked away from the two… "Let's drop this already…" she looked at the older man when she noticed that he didn't talk again… "Master, he asked me, if he could use our help…I'd like your decision on this matter."

Unfortunately, however, she was ignored by the respected man once again. The guru placed the two cups in front of them and took the bottle of wine in his hands… "Would you like some wine, young man?" he glanced at the woman… "What about you, Zafina?"

The woman shook negatively her head. This was no time for drinking, not that she was drinking, though… "No, I don't want any."

"But you, young man…You want deny my offer, right?" he said once again pouring Lars' cup with some red wine…

Lars smiled kindly at the man and took the cup in his hands. He looked at the beautiful dark red color and then back at the guru… "Since you were that kind and welcomed me here, I was uninvited I mean…It would be rude of me to decline."

The guru nodded and sipped some of his drink… "You are, indeed, very charming, my child. No wonder, you took Zafina's hard-to-get interest."

Zafina was stunned from what she was hearing. She touched her chest and felt her cheeks getting hotter. She looked away not wanting for the two men to see her. The guru smiled at the woman's direction and decided to not tease her any further. He set his cup on the floor and noticed Lars doing the same. He touched gently Zafina's hand and she looked at him. He reassured her that he won't talk about embarrassing things like that again…at least in front of her…

"So, young man? What can "we" exactly do to help you?"

Lars pursed his lips and tightened his fists. Both Zafina and the guru noticed his clueless situation. The man didn't know himself what he wanted. He raised his head and looked at the guru having a small frown above his eyes…

"I…I wish…I could ask or…I mean, I had something specific to ask for your help…Now all I do is confusing you…but…"

The guru sighed but smiled in the inside when he noticed Zafina looking sympathetically towards Lars… "You can drop the small talk."

"Huh?"

"You can just say that you want Zafina by your side."

Their eyes widened and Zafina didn't know what to say… "Master, what…"

She was startled when she felt Lars' hand on her arm and she looked at him. The man had a sad smile on his face that made Zafina curious. Could it be that he actually wanted that?

"Heh…That would be too much even for a selfish man as myself. I can't possibly ask from her to be with me. I noticed that she's very important here and the especially…loved."

The guru closed his eyes. He could sense Zafina's change of heart but that wasn't enough… "You guessed well. She's an irreplaceable member of our family…And she's always doing her best. Helps promising fighters…Teaches our children…and…"

"That's enough…Uh…" she said interrupting the older man…

The two men looked at each other and the older one nodded looking at the man opposite him… "She's very modest on top of that…and not to mention incredibly intuitive."

"Master, it's Amina getting married, ok? And, please…Let's talk seriously."

The guru raised his hands defensively… "But why, my dear? Our guest enjoys our talk."

Zafina already guessed what the older man wanted to do. He wanted her gone because he wished to be alone with Lars. But why didn't he want her present? She decided to not question the master's wishes and words. He must have his reasons…

She sighed and stood up… "He's not here to have fun. And, anyway, since I understood what you're trying to do, I'll get out."

The man nodded and watched her leaving… "As you wish…And not eavesdropping."

…

The two men stayed silent for some time. Not that Lars had anything to say, though. The guru stood up and walked towards his window. From there he could see Zafina walking to the village's center. In the end, she left. That was good. He turned his head and noticed Lars looking confused at him. He walked back and sat down in front of him. He crossed his arms and said…

"Now's the two of us…Be honest…Tell me, what are you're seeking?"

Lars was expecting a question like this. He knew the answer but what he didn't was if the man opposite him would be able to understand him. He sighed and looked at his hands… "To know what lies inside that tomb. Only scientific analysis isn't enough for what I want to do. You see…I'm always the clueless one. Both of these men in the past…also, Zafina."

"Those two I know…But what about Zafina?"

Lars smiled at himself. He knew of Jin and Kazuya's devil gene but he was also aware that Zafina had some powers herself. How she was able to talk to him about what she knew or how did she find out?

"I'm not an idiot. I know that she possesses some unique power. I don't know what kind of and I, also, don't want to pry any further in her busyness."

The guru placed his hand under his chin and looked around him. He, finally, set his gaze upon Lars, who tried to avoid any possible eye contact with him. The man didn't try to make Lars return his gaze. It was the same anyway… "Hmm…But don't you need her help because of that?"

"No…"

The man raised an eyebrow. This was interesting, he thought… "Then?"

"She supported me a lot two years ago. I mean, she helped me." Lars let out a sigh not knowing what to say… "Uh…Didn't I tell you, sir? I really don't know what I want. What comes first in my mind is…Emotional support. I told you, I'm selfish, since I have people, who care about me. It's not the same, though."

"I see…Well, you do look selfish. Tell me this. Are you…attracted to her?"

Lars looked at the guru wide eyed. How did he come to this assumption? He noticed that he was careless with his words. This damned impulsiveness of his. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak… "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you believe I mean."

The man smiled and sipped some of the wine the guru poured for him… "You're some…weird man, master."

He nodded to himself and let out a slight laugh… "Well, thank you. One of the best compliments, I've ever received."

He cleared his throat and said again… "Anyway, Zafina is an attractive woman in a lot of ways."

A thought of this woman entered his mind and smiled in the inside. It was doubtless the fact that she was attractive. And as the guru said…in a lot of ways. Lars felt jealous of the man, who was going to make her fall in love with him. He looked at the ground and nodded…

"That's true…No one can doubt this."

The guru stood up taking the bottle of wine with him. He walked towards the cupboard and placed the bottle back inside. He closed it and turned to look at Lars, who was standing up…

"It will be difficult to convince her and come with you."

"Come…with me?" he asked pointing at himself…

"Well, how is she supposed to help you if she doesn't come…and not to mention that you need to leave already."

The old man noticed Lars unsure condition from his body language. It was known that he was an observant person. But Lars had his reasons and the guru was aware of them. In the end, he was just as Zafina described him two years ago. The younger man was lost in thought about thinking how it would be if Zafina was to come with him back to Japan. The most important would be that it was going to be to his advantage. Having that woman's knowledge would be quite beneficial for him and the Zaibatsu. But as he said, he wasn't that much of a selfish person…

"Ugh…You're quite the naïve one, aren't you?" said the guru making him look at his direction…

"W-What?"

"You believe that you'll be taking advantage of Zafina by having her next to you?"

"Well…I think so."

The guru shook his head disappointedly and walked towards the window. He looked outside. As expected, Zafina was coming back. He was surprised that she left them alone for so long. He realized that whatever he had to say, he had to do it now…

"Listen to me. You think you saw Zafina standing right in front of you by a mere coincidence? Definitely not. To be honest, I want her to come with you. As you noticed, we're not exactly helping you."

"I…" Lars tried to say but the guru interrupted him…

"Oh! By the way, I wanted to ask you this…Do you know why you failed today?"

Lars couldn't understand what the man meant. Failed? Did he mean not being able to meet Kazuya? Well, there was a possibility…He opened his mouth slightly trying to say something…

"I believe…My timing was just…"

An unsatisfied look appeared on the guru's face. Seeing that made Lars think that it wasn't that where he was wrong or better…where he failed. He stayed silent and was waiting for the other man to speak first… "I don't mean your conflict with your brother. Now we're talking about you. You failed to take the answers you MUST need. You didn't come for answers in the first place, right? You're always chasing after your brother and that to no avail. In reality, Lars Alexandersson, you haven't even understood the reason you're fighting unlike you did in the past."

Lars was left speechless. The guru couldn't be more right than that. He was actually realizing it right now himself. From the very beginning he didn't have the actual purpose. Without expecting it, he remembered the reason why Hwoarang joined him in the first place. This man was fighting for revenge. That was his reason. But what about him? From the moment, he took over the Zaibatsu he went against Kazuya because he just _had to_. Lars was able to smile when he came straight with the harsh reality…

"Anyway…" said the guru… "I'm positive that you will find out during this time period."

The blond man bowed and thanked him. The guru dismissed him. He didn't want his thanks and all that, since he was going to help them himself. Zafina needed Lars' help, as well. The young man, however, said again…

"But the last thing I want is to inconvenience her. She has already a lot in her mind."

"You think?" the older man glanced at him and Lars raised an eyebrow… "Soon enough, Zafina will come to realize that the only way to stop this is to join you. If she doesn't, she'll stay here having useless vis…"

The guru stopped talking suddenly, making him worry. He walked closer to him and said… "Did you try to say anything, sir?"

"Just that, if she wants to protect us, she doesn't have to do it only with her…talents."

"I…think, I understand?"

"You don't."

Lars sighed. That man was worse than Tougou when he was interrogating him. At least he knew that he could joke with his friend, since that man, in front of him, seemed unpredictable…

"If you want for that woman to trust you and give you her help, you have to make her feel safe and that she can rely on you."

"How am I supposed to do that? I mean, she proved that she can…"

A mocking smile appeared on the guru's face that made Lars stop talking…

"A man of your caliber must know the real answer."

The old man's words were perplexing to him. A man of his caliber. It would be much easier if he asked from him to protect Zafina but it surely wasn't that. There was something cryptic behind these words. The only thing he could positively do successfully was to protect a person when in danger. He had already promised something like that to Julia. But with how difficult things were becoming and how much he changed, he was unsure about that in the same time. Despite being lost in thought, Lars noticed someone entering the old man's house. He turned his head to his left and watched Zafina walking inside with hesitant steps. Why is she hesitating? He thought…Then, he assumed that she probably believed that she interrupted them. It would be a good thing, if she came a little earlier. Zafina was wrong. Even though, they speak with the same enigmatic words, the woman was much easier to deal with…

Zafina looked at Lars, who didn't have the most satisfied expression on his face. What did they talk about or what did the guru tell him? She was sure that he would give Lars the help he wanted. It wasn't like Zafina didn't want to help, she just wanted to do it in her own way. Following orders was a pointless factor to her…In other words, she wouldn't be able to cope with…

"M-Master…Did you finish talking?"

The guru placed his hands behind his back and nodded. Except from the cooperation between Zafina and the Mishima Zaibatsu, the man was looking forward to the relationships Zafina was going to have there and especially, the one with the leader of the Company. The old man was sure of one thing, though. That Zafina will return here being different from how she is now…

"Yes, my child. We had a very interesting talk, didn't we young man?"

Lars smiled slightly towards Zafina, who noticed the unawareness inside him. He probably didn't understand a thing about what the guru said. Suddenly, her eyes widened at the thought she had. Could it be, though, that he understood perfectly but didn't manage to get what he wanted? Zafina didn't expect from the guru to not give his assistance, since he was always telling her that sometimes they must have others on their side…

"Is that so?"

"Zafina sit down for now, ok? And you young man." He said looking at the blond man… "Please, leave me alone with Zafina."

Lars noticed the guru smirking at him. Was he going to let her know about what they talked about? Or tell her that she was going to go with them? Zafina was definitely going to get mad and refuse but he wouldn't blame her. He saw how lovingly she hugged her little sister. It would be difficult to leave your only relative behind. In the end, he looked both at the guru and Zafina and walked outside the house…

…

The woman stared at the floor and waited for the older man to speak first. Anyway, she didn't have anything to say…No, no…She did have something to say or better ask. She wanted to know everything about what they talked about. However, she was sure that the guru would only tell her what was necessary for her to know. She heard the man clearing his throat and took her attention…

"I have a mission for you." Said the man looking her in the eyes…

Zafina didn't respond. The man had to say more so she didn't want to interrupt him… "Why are you not saying anything?"

"Because I want you to tell me more."

"Ok, then." He told her and sat opposite her. He breathed out and started saying… "Zafina, you're aware yourself that if we want for our people and village to be safe, we have to witness things first hand. And I mean finding out how things are working in their country."

A frown appeared above the woman's brown eyes, since her intuition proved her right. The guru wanted to send her with Lars Alexandersson to Japan…

"Why are you having that look in your face? Giving you a mission means that something has changed."

"Do I really need to go?"

Suddenly, the black haired woman felt the man's hand on her own. She raised her head and saw his teary eyes. Zafina didn't expect to see him cry. She had never seen a man crying, besides her father when her mother died. It surprised her… "Are you alright?" she asked him…

The man didn't answer and just patted her hand. It wasn't like he wanted to send her away. But they just didn't have another choice, if they wanted to save themselves, their people and alongside these, their village… "Forgive me, my child. Amina is right for hating me. I haven't allowed you to live your life."

She shook her head and looked annoyed at him… "A life, where I'll always feel threatened and wishing for someone to save me? Thanks but I can do without. I prefer to die on duty than wishing for help from people, who sooner or later would take advantage of us and our property."

"Your parents must be so proud of you, Zafina. I can picture your mother smiling to you and your father giving you his blessing."

Zafina both smiled and felt sad at the mention of her parents. In the end, she knew what she must do. Her father fought till the end for their sake risking and finally losing his life during his life as a protector. Then, her mother, who tried to make the best using her powers died because of a man, who his lust for power made him a person without morals, conscience and especially…a soul. A sigh escaped her mouth and stood up. She fixed some loose bangs from her hair and smiled spiritedly at the old man…

"Don't worry, master. I'll do my best. I'm going to go with them."

"Thank you, Zafina."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 15

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 15**

It's been three hours since they returned to Japan. Kazuya disappeared from the time they arrived at the headquarters. Both Bruce and Anna didn't have the chance to talk to him about what happened. He was silent during the whole flight. It was confusing the fact that he wasn't angry at all. It was true that Kazuya was a man, who was completely honest with the…majority of his feelings. He preferred to keep the "disturbing" ones locked inside his mind. Even he didn't dare to unlock this "little box". If he was to do that…He was, actually, afraid of what was going to happen. A long series of mistakes. He wasn't intending to do any of those unlike he did some years ago. Jun wasn't going to win again. That was his decision and today he managed to show her his intentions…

However, unlike Bruce, Anna wasn't particularly interested in what happened to him. In reality, she only cared about her issues with Nina. Could it be true what Xiaoyu said the last time she was here? That she didn't have any idea about the war's purpose two years ago? However, this time, she seemed genuinely worried about Steve Fox. She was aware of that and had no problem to hide or admit it. But she questioned this action of hers…

…

 **G-Corporation, Medical Department…**

Steve Fox opened wearily his blue eyes and noticed that he was in a white colored room. He looked on his left and right and watched doctors and nurses checking out patients. However, he was alone inside this room. He knew that usually there were two or three sometimes patients in the same room. And it wasn't like he had some infectious disease for him to be in quarantine. When he thought of this he raised his body and looked at his leg, which was wrapped with bandages. He swallowed hard and touched slightly the place. He regretted it in an instant and gritted his teeth in pain. That woman…She didn't have to injure him that bad, even though he told her to do that. And what type of knives were these anyway? They seemed old in the same time, as well. Whatever…In the end, she maybe was just very skilled in this kind of…art.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. Maybe, a doctor remembered that there was a patient actually inside here?

"Come in."

His eyes widened slightly when he witnessed Anna Williams walking inside the hospital's room closing the door behind her. She looked around her and smiled. In the end, she brought her gaze towards Steve and walked closer to him. She smiled to him and he returned awkwardly the same smile. What's with this woman? Why isn't she saying anything? That was what was making the atmosphere awkward for Steve.

Anna brought her hand to his leg and touched the injured spot making him bit his lips and his hands in tightened grips. She frowned when she noticed his pained expression…

"My apologies, Steve. I thought that it would feel better till now, since as they said, your injury wasn't that deep."

Steve shook his head… "Don't worry about it…I'm ok."

"But I'm surprised, you're awake. Aren't you tired?"

He smiled wearily and shrugged his shoulders… "I really…for an unknown reason…have no clue about me being tired or not."

"Hm?"

The woman sat on the chair next to Steve's bed and crossed her legs. She wasn't looking at him and that made him nervous. Why did she come if she had nothing to say? In the end, he decided for him to start a conversation…

"Umm…Well…" Anna looked at him raising an eyebrow… "What are we gonna do now?"

She smiled and breathed out… "Be patient. For now, let's leave him "recover" and calm down. Anyway, we're just working for him, we don't have to worry ourselves with that, since the decisions are his…Oh! And not to mention that you need to rest."

He gave her a nod and he suddenly remembered what she said back there about Baek. He cleared his throat and asked her…

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure…Go ahead." She said and crossed her arms…

"Bruce…Was he really the one who killed that man?"

Anna was surprised that Steve still remembered what she said a while ago. She tightened her fists something that confused him…

"Are you talking about Baek…I…I mean Baek Doo San?"

Steve raised an eyebrow at Anna's new found expression. He wasn't sure if he did wisely by asking her…

"Yeah…" he mumbled and nodded at her…

"Ok…He was the one, who…killed him. Baek Doo San was a fighter, who even beat him up. He could at least challenge him in a fight, right?" she said with a questioning weak smile… "Hphm…Even Nina wouldn't do such a thing when it comes to a fellow fighter. Weird, I know but…she still has some pride inside her."

"What about you?" Steve asked her…

Anna stood up from where she was sitting… "Have you ever seen me holding a gun…umm…recently?"

He shook his head negatively…

"See? I'm only giving orders but that's until I have to deal with that hateful witch sister of mines…Nina…That's the one I'm gonna fight till the moment I die."

Steve closed his eyes for a moment and drifted in his thoughts… _"Hateful witch sister of mines, huh? She's talking about my mother, in the end. What should I do from now on? I don't know if I'll be able to act like this is nothing. I have to do my best, I guess."_

Anna raised an eyebrow when she noticed Steve having his eyes closed. Did he fall asleep? She walked closer and touched his shoulder… "Steve?" she called him making him blink his eyes…

As he watched her face he started taking notice of their similarities. Both with his mother and him as well. That was so weird and made him wonder something…

"Why are you fighting your own sister?" he said out of the blue taking her by surprise…

She stayed silent for a bit without making eye contact with the blond younger man…

After some time, she looked at him and said… "I like talking with you, Steve but…This is something I can't share with anyone."

Steve pursed his lips. It was unfair from his side to ask something so personal, since they weren't an "actual" family. Only biologically. For Steve, Emma was his sole family. He had no need of someone else…until, of course, there was a chance for him to start his own. Steve Fox was thinking seriously of having children and provide them with all those things he didn't have…

"I apologize…for asking something so personal, I mean."

Anna shook her head… "No need to apologize. It's normal for you to ask since we're having a conversation."

"Thanks…I won't do this again, I promise."

"Hehe…You're so cute. And it's ok. Rest for now. We need for your leg to heal soon."

Steve nodded and watched her walking towards the door to leave… "Why don't you do the same, then?" that stopped her and she looked surprised at him… "I mean you look exhausted."

She gave him a slight nod and grabbed the doorknob… "I'll make sure I will. Don't worry about me, alright?" she said and walked outside the room closing the door behind her…

…

 **G-Corporation, Medical Department…**

 **Outside Steve's room…**

The beautiful woman stopped her pace after making some steps away from Steve's room. She looked at the clean white floor and bit her upper lip. Something was wrong with Steve. Why was he interested in who killed that man or even worse…Why did he ask her about Nina? She decided that there was no need to worry about that and shook her head. She looked at his closed door and sighed…Suddenly, she heard a voice coming from behind her…

"Steve sure is a nice guy, isn't he?"

Anna touched her chest being startled by Bruce's unexpected appearance… "Tsk…Of course, unlike some others." She said looking at him upside down making him smirk. She passed through him making her way outside the Medical Department, however, she didn't know that the man was following her all this time. He extended his arm and touched her shoulder. Anna stared angrily at him…

"What is it?" for a moment she looked at his hand resting on her shoulder… "And take your hand off me."

Bruce nodded and released her. He crossed his arms and said at the annoyed woman… "Say, Anna…Are you interested in him? Steve, I mean."

The woman was taken aback by what he said. After thinking about it for a moment, she smiled sarcastically towards him and crossed her arms under her chest… "So pathetic…You men are so simple minded…What a bother?"

"What do you mean?" asked the man as a frown appeared above his eyes…

Anna turned her back at him not bothering to give him an answer. There was nothing to be said. Bruce didn't stop her this time but he watched her stopping again without looking at him, though… "Is he still shut inside his office?"

"Yes."

A sigh escaped her lips… "There's no helping it then. If he needs anything he's going to call." Anna looked at him this time… "I'm leaving. What about you?"

"I'll try to find out what's wrong with him."

"Hehe…I admire your patience, Mr. Irvin. Good bye!" she said walking away…

…

 **G-Corporation, Headquarters**

 **Outside Kazuya's office…**

Bruce Irvin waited for the elevator's door to open. When it did he walked outside and made his way to Kazuya's office. The whole floor was empty as always. There was only Kazuya's office on the top floor, nothing else. He found himself outside the office soon enough. He stood there having his hands inside his pockets. The man was thinking about what to tell him or if he was going to listen. In the end, he decided to not approach him in a special way but just as he always had…

"Kazuya? It's me…Bruce. Can I come in?"

The man never took a response from him. He decided to knock once again but still no answer. He tightened his fist and nodded to himself. Since Kazuya wasn't answering him, he would walk inside by himself. He knew that he was taking a huge risk with Kazuya's usual temper. He pressed the button and as soon as the door opened he made his way inside. He took notice of the empty desk. Where the hell is he? The only thing he said before disappearing was that he would be in his office. Bruce turned slightly his head back when he heard the door closing. For a moment he thought that someone was coming, hoping that it was Kazuya. He made some steps further inside and he blinked his eyes several times at what he saw…

" _Well…That's the last thing I was expecting to see…And I was here worrying about him. I'll better go."_

Bruce turned his back and made his way to the exit. He pressed the button once again and walked outside being still irritated at the sight of Kazuya sleeping when he was there worrying about him. He had to admit, though, that the sight back there was quite hilarious or better…ridiculous. The man couldn't explain it in words. Of course! Since what he thought was that Kazuya seemed like he was sleeping peacefully. Bruce shook his head to push away these thought and walked inside the elevator…

…

 **G-Corporation, Medical Department…**

It's been some time till Anna left Steve's room. The man was looking aimlessly around him not knowing what to do. He couldn't even stand up to check what was happening outside. The only thing he noticed was people walking around in white robes. Maybe, his first assumption was wrong and this wasn't a hospital. It was true that he never heard anyone saying that there was one inside the Headquarters. But where was he? A frown appeared on his handsome face when he reminisced of his "childhood". For a moment he felt somehow scared…Could it be that something like that was going to happen again? But why choose him? There was no answer in that. Why did they choose him back there, then? Steve realized in the end that it was because of Nina. They were going to do this to her child…It wasn't because he was the exact person they wanted…It could be anyone. Maybe, another child would be born instead of him…

The white door opened slowly and Steve turned startled to see who it was. A blonde young woman walked slowly inside. She smiled awkwardly at him. Steve could tell by first glance that she wasn't quite a confident person. Her shoulders were lowered and her eyes were looking at the white floor. Soon, she walked towards him and bowed. Steve didn't do anything because he couldn't understand anything. The woman turned her back to him and searched for something inside the white cupboard opposite Steve's bed. When she found what she wanted, she closed it and made her way back to him. She set them next to his bed and pulled out of her pocket her rimless glasses. When she put them on, Steve realized that he had seen her before…And quite a lot of times. This time he, also, understood where he was. At the Medical Department. He never saw her elsewhere, anyway. But why?

"Mr. Fox, let me change your bandages."

It was the first time the woman spoke and gained his attention. Oh, she talks! That was what Steve thought…

"Uh…Alright thanks."

"Don't mention it…Actually, I wanted to apologize, since I took long enough to check on you."

Steve smiled reassuringly at her and shook his head… "No worries! I'm doing fine."

She didn't say anything this time and proceeded to unwrap his old bandage around his leg. He placed a hand under his chin trying to think of something to say, since he wasn't able to deal with the silence inside the room… "Say…umm…well…"

The woman pursed her lips for a moment… "Please, call me…Jane."

He nodded happily… "I'm Steve."

"I know…" she said and Steve realized that she obviously did, since she called him by his surname…Lame…

"R-Right, Jane…Are you always down here? I've never seen you elsewhere."

At first, the woman didn't say anything. She was focused on changing Steve's bandages. She breathed out when she did and gathered all the medical equipment placing it back to the white cupboard. Steve was worried because she wasn't talking to him. Maybe, she didn't hear him? He doubted it…Maybe, she just didn't want to answer him. It can be, he thought…

"Uh…You're right." She said and Steve sighed in relief. It was a good thing that he didn't bother her… "You see…I don't feel comfortable up there. You might find me a little weird…It's just too stressful for me."

"I see…Somehow, I understand what you mean."

Jane smiled at him and gave him a nod… "Being down here helps me do what I want in peace."

There was a moment of silence inside the room. Steve could tell that the woman wanted to be dismissed but her unconfident appearance made him want to know more about her… "Well, I wanted to say this…You, sure, like to take care of others, right? I mean, you're not a doctor, yet you're here changing bandages for me…You've become my personal nurse."

Her lips turned downwards and she scratched the back of her head … "Uhh…"

"Could it be that…Anna Williams asked you to do this?" he asked her moving his torso a little towards her…

She shook her head negatively… "N-Not really…Erm…Let's just say that…That, this is something I was asked to do if it was ever needed."

The blond man raised an eyebrow in question… "I don't quite get you."

Jane's gaze turned serious and intense as he noticed. She had already said a lot… "You don't need to. And, please, let's leave it at that…It's my personal business."

"Oh…S-Sorry…"

The slightly older woman shook her head with a smile… "Don't worry about it…Well, I have to go now."

Steve nodded and returned her smile… "I see…Be careful going back home, ok?"

She stayed still for some time. Didn't he know that it's been some time since she started staying here? G-Corporation wouldn't risk letting her leak information to their rival companies. They had to keep an eye on her. In other words, she was forced to stay here. However, she didn't mind it. She liked being close to her precious JACK…

"Thank you for worrying about me, Mr. Fox but didn't you know? I actually stay here."

Steve's eyes widened… "H-Huh? _Who would like to stay into a place like this? It so obviously depressing_ "

Jane smiled. She didn't want to tell him that they forced her to make the Medical Department her own "home"… "It's ok…I enjoy it being here."

"But the other doctors…"

The woman made her way towards the door and grabbed the doorknob. She opened the door but stop before walking outside… "I'm different from them…I mean, I'm not even a professional doctor…This place here…Is like a shelter for me."

"Ok, I get it…If you're fine with this."

Jane nodded with a smile and made a step outside… "Have a nice rest. Oh…I almost forgot! If just in case you need something…for even the smallest thing. Please, don't hesitate to call me. Just press the white button on the wall to your left."

Steve turned his head to where Jane said the button was and before he was ready to say something to her she had already walked outside the room…

"That woman…Would it be my fault, if I press this button like right now?" he said jokingly and relaxed his body on the bed…

…

 **Inside one of the Mishima Zaibatsu's helicopters…**

As the sun started to set Lars and his crew decided to head back to Japan. But there was something different this time. Zafina was also going to come with them. Lars could imagine how hard it was on her. He was so amazed by the fact that she didn't shed a single tear. How strong was this woman anyway? Could she be the one he needed to support him? Lars shook his head negatively. He shouldn't be thinking like that. As the guru said before, being with them Zafina was also helping her people. But this didn't calm him down. The man felt guilty from the moment he saw Zafina's sister crying inside her embrace asking not to leave her. The sight of the young girl crying was so heartbreaking…

 _ **Zafina's village, some hours ago…**_

 _Zafina walked outside the guru's house and made her way towards the center of the village knowing that almost all her people were gathering there. She preferred to tell them first that she was leaving and then to her sister. She didn't know why she felt that way. Maybe, because she still wasn't confident and needed some time to prepare herself? Who knows?_

 _As expected a big amount of villagers were there. She spotted Lars and how "popular" he got with both the women and children. Even though, she had spiritual powers, she couldn't tell the reason of his "attractiveness" towards people. He was becoming so easily accepted by everyone. It was somehow scary even for her…_

 _The people stopped with everything they were doing when the woman asked for their attention. They were confused, since Zafina wasn't from the people, who were making public speeches and such. She preferred to protect them without telling them who was their enemy. What changed now?_

 _Zafina cleared her throat and said… "My dear people, I apologize for interrupting you…but there's something I must telling you."_

 _She stopped for a moment and looked at the interested crowd surrounding her…_

" _A great evil is approaching our world…But…I…I'll do my best to defeat all obstacles like I promised to you. I need to leave for some time so…For my sake, take care of each other and do your best for our sacred land."_

 _The villagers started talking with each other but no one questioned Zafina and her actions. They trusted her with all their might. However, one person was heard from outside the crowd…_

" _You can't do that to me, sister!"_

 _The woman's eyes widened. She thought that her sister was at their house. Amina started running to the opposite direction and back to their house. Zafina didn't think much of it and followed her. Even though, it wasn't any of his busyness, Lars followed her slowly as well…_

 _Zafina took a breath when she arrived outside her house. Amina really came back here. The door was wide open and she could hear her crying even from this distance. The older woman walked slowly inside and saw her sister crying while sitting on the ground. Zafina knelt down and touched her sister's shoulders…_

" _I'm sorry…"_

 _Amina's eyes widened when she heard her sister apologizing with a trembling voice. She knew that it wasn't her fault but she couldn't help it. Who knows when she was going to see her again…And if she ever sees her again?_

" _S-Sister? Do you really need to go with them?" she said wiping her tears…_

 _Zafina sighed and caressed her sister's head… "Amina, please, forgive me…My irresponsibility is something unforgivable but…Please, I beg you to try and believe in me. Not as the protector of our village but as me…your older sister."_

 _The young girl nodded. She felt that Zafina was actually sadder than she was. It wasn't like she wanted to leave, right? She just didn't have another choice._

" _What are you talking about, Zafina? I'm the irresponsible one here. I ask you to forgive me and my childish behavior. I will be praying for you. Do your best, ok?"_

 _Amina gave her a small smile and Zafina nodded. It was a big relief that she had her support, even though she knew that she didn't want her to go…_

" _Thank you! I won't disappoint you, Amina. Your faith in me won't go to waste."_

 _Amina nodded and hugged her sister tightly for the last time… "I'm sure of it."_

…

Lars sighed as he recollected the scene. He stood up from his seat next to Nina and made his way deeper inside the helicopter…

"Where are you going?" asked the blonde woman. She had been hearing his sighs from the moment they took off. She knew the reason, though…

The man scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor… "I'm going to check on Zafina."

"Oh yeah…I, almost, forgot about her. Where is she anyway?"

"She wanted to be alone for a minute. I showed her to the cabin."

Nina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. What cabin was he talking about?

"Cabin? What are you talking about?"

"You seriously have no idea? I thought you knew…These helicopters are the new models I personally asked for. I told them to create a small cabin…You know just a bed…I'm sometimes getting sleepy after missions."

The woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. Well, she could expect something like that now that she thought better of it. For a moment, she believed that this was maybe one of the ideas Lee Chaolan was giving to her boss. Yeah, that must be it…Nina shook her head and didn't say anything back. She turned her attention back to her cellphone and Lars left her behind. The man made his way towards the place where Zafina was. He stopped his pace when he found himself in front of the door of the small cabin. He swallowed hard and knocked slowly on the door…

"Zafina, it's me…Lars. Can I come in?"

Lars waited for a moment until he heard her positive reply. He opened the door and made a step inside. He saw her sitting on the bed while hugging her legs. She seemed so sad and distant. He flinched when she gazed at him…

"I'm sorry, if I'm bothering you."

Zafina nodded and looked outside the small window. There were no stars in the sky tonight…No wonder…But no, maybe she just couldn't see them. She was very tired…Both mentally and physically. Suddenly, Lars sat beside her and gained her attention as she looked at him…

"Zafina…I'm really indebted to you. I won't disappoint you or your people. I promise."

There was a pause from her side for a moment… "You don't have to promise me anything. There was no way I would come, if it wasn't beneficial for me and my people."

The man pursed his lips. For an unknown reason, he felt slightly irritated. His nerves weren't in their best condition either. He was hardly keeping himself from snapping. A sigh left his mouth and he stood up. She looked at him while he was standing up. She felt his slightly annoyed aura but she couldn't do anything about it…

"Then, I guess…We both have our personal reasons." He said crossing his arms…

She nodded quietly…

"Anyway, I need to take my leave now."

Lars walked towards the door but he stopped when he heard her talking to him. Zafina was surprised that she stopped him as well…

"Where are you going?"

He looked at her confused and noticed that she had a perplexed expression on her face…

"Back inside…I'm an honest person, you see…Right now, it's awkward for me to be around you."

Her eyes widened slightly. She didn't expect to hear that… "What do you mean? Did I displease you somehow?"

"You? Definitely not. I'm the one, who displeased you. I hope you'll forgive one day…For being so selfish, I mean."

Zafina nodded in the inside. She, finally, realized why he was saying all these things. She was sure that he heard her talk with Amina. But it wasn't his fault. That was what she wanted to tell him. Even if he hadn't come to her village, with what the guru wanted to do, she would be the one seeking him out. The woman looked at him, who had a small sad smile on his lips. Even if, she wanted to forget…For Zafina, Lars Alexandersson was still considered a savior and a kind man. That was something she was never going to admit or tell him…

"Don't worry about that…To be honest, I…"

Zafina was ready to say something but stopped in the last minute. She was ready to tell him all those things she decided that she wouldn't. But she just couldn't keep pretending that it was his fault or that she was angry at him or upset. The only thing in her mind was her people…

"What is it?"

She shook her head and laid on the bed… "Never mind…I'd like to rest for a moment, ok?"

The man nodded and opened the door… "Sure, I'll wake you up when we get back, alright?"

"I don't believe I'll be still sleeping till then."

"Just in case…Anyway, have a nice rest."

Lars walked outside and closed the door behind him. Zafina felt somehow lonely suddenly. Why? Her lips turned downwards and she closed slowly her eyes. Soon enough her body felt lighter and she drifted into sleep...

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. Author's note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **To the people who support this story (I appreciate you guys)**

To begin with, it's true what people say about that you can't have everything in this life.

As I said some time ago I was going to update only this story of mines because I was gonna be quite busy, since I got a new job.

However, something unfortunate happened and I lost the USB with my files concerning this story (I searched the whole house!)

In the end, as you guessed, I'm putting this story on hiatus for now because I'm mentally incapable of trying to remember what I wrote (I'm a disgrace to the author world).

For now, I'll go back and start updating my other stories.

That's all I wanted to say…

Please forgive both my idiocy and bad luck!


	19. Chapter 16

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 16**

 **Japan, Tokyo…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, First Military Base…**

" _Zafina? What's with you going with your father every time?"_

 _The young girl stopped running when she heard her mother. She looked away for a moment and witnessed her father walking towards his practice area. Usually, she was watching him as he was practicing his martial arts, since she wanted to follow his steps. Zafina, even from her childhood, was fascinated with the tombs and her clan's history and legends. Her father was teaching her everything he knew about those._

 _She pouted when she couldn't see her father's figure any longer. She knew where the place was but she couldn't remember the way to get there. Now she lost her chance of going with him. She sighed disappointingly and walked towards her mother…_

" _But you know that I like spending time with him. Now I don't know how to get there."_

 _Her mother kneeled in front of her and grabbed lightly her small shoulders…_

" _Does this mean that you dislike being with me?"_

 _A frown full of guilt appeared above Zafina's eyes. Of course, she loved her mother but she wasn't interested in the things she was doing. Then, how come she expected her to like spending such a time with her?_

" _It's not that I don't want to be with you…But you do all these things that I dislike and I'm not good at."_

" _It doesn't have to be that way…"_

" _Then?" she asked crossing her arms…_

 _The woman pursed her lips and looked at the ground. The girl, suddenly, remembered something… "And you have Amina now. She needs your whole attention."_

 _For a moment, Zafina noticed that her mother was shaking. She got worried but before she was ready to ask her, the older woman raised her head and nodded…_

" _Ok, ok…I won't pressure you any further, if you like to be with your father...I'll try to bear with it…" the woman released her and stood up… "And you're right, honey. Amina should have my entire attention."_

 _Zafina smiled and nodded, even though she felt something weird coming from her mother's aura. It was odd…_

 _She saw her extending her hand towards her… "Take my hand. I'll take you to your father."_

 _The young girl's eyes lit up and squeezed her mother's hand… "Really?!" she asked and the woman nodded…_

" _That's right! But let's go and take Amina first."_

" _Oh…ok!"_

…

Zafina's eyes opened widely and she raised her upper body from the bed she was sleeping. She didn't have a clue about where she was or what she was doing here. She looked around her and noticed the white walls, a desk, a wardrobe and a small couch. She looked at her left and touched the curtain, which was covering the window, exactly next to the bed she was resting on. She placed her hands on the bed's mattress and caressed it. It was unexpectedly soft and comfortable. The woman gave a last look around the room. Someone could say that it would be quite cold because of the atmosphere but it was warm…

" _Where am I? And this bed?"_

Zafina touched her head trying to remember what happened and why she ended up here in the first place. She closed tightly her eyes to focus in her thoughts. It didn't take long for her to remember. A sigh escaped her lips…It was the first time that she was going to live away from her sister for such a long time. In the past, Zafina would be missing for a couple of days whenever she was on a mission but she knew that it won't be long since she would return home again. How much she hoped for Amina to forgive her?

The woman recollected her previous thoughts…Seeing her mother wasn't a dream. She remembered it all when it happened. It was expected since Zafina was twelve years old back then. In times like these she would realize of how terrible of a daughter she was to her mother. If only she knew that she would die a few years later? Maybe, that was one of the reasons, Zafina was so strict with herself…

" _Forgive me, mother…If only, I knew…"_

…

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and she blinked her eyes several times. Who was it now? Where was she? No, she remembered where she was but…She heard a knock once again. She touched her body and was relieved by the fact that she was wearing her clothes. But where are her shoes? And her stuff? She breathed in and out to calm herself. She was going to get the answers she needed…

"Yes? I mean…Come in."

The door opened slowly and Lars Alexandersson made a step inside still holding the doorknob. She felt a sign of relief inside her when she saw him but for a brief moment…

" _Lars…"_ Zafina called his name inside her mind. Yes…She, really, followed him to Japan…

"Good morning." Said the man and walked further inside closing the door behind him. He decided to not walk any closer sensing her uneasiness…

She didn't answer and looked away giving him only a slight nod. Lars didn't expect anything else but he had a feeling that she would open up herself soon…He at least hoped so. He placed a hand on his mouth and cleared his throat. The woman looked at him with the corner of her eye. She understood that he was trying to make the atmosphere less awkward. She knew that it was her fault and that she was still making him think that he was to blame for that. No, she had to be fair. She chose to go with him. Lars never forced her…

"Uh…Did you sleep…well?"

For the first time she looked at him… "I guess so…Why didn't you wake me up?"

Lars smiled for a moment and she raised an eyebrow... "But you were sleeping so peacefully. It would be a shame to wake you up, so I brought you here."

Her eyes widened slightly and a blush covered her cheeks… "You had your men carry me in this place?"

The man scratched awkwardly the back of his head when he heard her question… "To be honest…I was the one, who carried you." He said pointing at himself…

" _Oh no…I'm so embarrassed…"_ she thought placing her hand on her face… "I see…What are we going to do now?"

For a moment he stayed silent. He opened slightly his mouth wanting to say something but, soon, decided against it. Zafina found his silence confusing and unexplainable. She watched him spacing out and she cleared her throat in order to gain his attention. What happened to him all of a sudden? She wondered…Could it be that he actually had no idea about what his next move should be? A frown appeared above her eyes. That was the last thing she wanted. If it was like that, she should have stayed back to her village. At least there, she would be "without progress" by herself and close to people she loved and loved her back. Back home, she wouldn't feel like an outsider…

"We'll talk about this later. For now let's have some breakfast and then, we'll go back to Tokyo. There…we will prepare our plan."

His words didn't satisfy her, even though, she was hungry herself. It was a good thing that she was able to hide her feelings from almost anyone…excluding the guru. However, Zafina wasn't aware that Lars was in the same category as the last one and he would make sure that she never finds out. That being said, he could tell that she was disappointed but he had to consider the others, too. The man noticed that Tougou was trying to come up with something by himself. Hwoarang seemed perplexed about something. What might have happened to him? He had a feeling that it didn't have to do anything with the girl in Osaka…Well, at least, Nina was still the same…That was, indeed, reassuring for him…

"I placed your things at the other side of the bed…Umm…" he chuckled for a moment… "Don't worry, I didn't search through them…Well…What about you have a shower and freshen up?" he asked and Zafina at first tried to look for her things. When she made sure that they, indeed, were not touched, she returned her gaze to meet his…

"That's…" a sigh escaped her lips… "I'd like to do that…I won't take long."

Lars gave her a faint smile… "Take all the time you need...I…"

"I'll be done in fifteen minutes. You can wait for me outside…" she said interrupting him but then paused… "Uh…I mean, I don't have any idea about where I'd have to go."

He nodded… "Alright…I'll be back in fifteen minutes, ok?"

Zafina didn't answer him and just stood up from the bed…

…

"I wonder how much fun did he have with this chick yesterday…Oh man…She's so damn sexy, isn't she? Those lips of hers…Eyes…Hmm…" said Hwoarang, while smiling, to himself even though, Tougou was right next to him. The last one let out a faint sigh and sipped some of his coffee… "Baby…Imagine how soft her skin would feel in your hands…" he paused for a moment… "And not to mention her boobs." Tougou looked away and rolled his eyes at this expectable for a long time now characterization…

Yesterday, the two of them left the helicopter as soon as it landed inside the first base. It was something to be expected from Hwoarang…but Tougou? Everyone would presume that he would be the last one to sleep between all of them, even though, Lars was the boss. Well…as it seemed all the people inside there knew of Tougou's dependability and how overprotective of Lars he was. However, even this guy left without letting his friend know. Why? What can possibly be more important than his duties? Someone could say that he might have wanted to use the bathroom for his private business. Could be…

Tougou set his cup on the table and glanced silently at Hwoarang, who was still smiling. He felt sorry for the girl, who must be in love with him. Such an irresponsible guy…in the matters of love always. The young man had proven himself worthy even in the short time he knew him. Lars' intuition was right once again. He made clear to himself that he would never doubt him again.

"Don't you find your girl prettier than her?" he asked him but Hwoarang looked unfazed at him…

"Asuka?" he murmured and shook negatively his head… "Uh…N-Not really…" his response left Tougou wide mouthed. Was this man really in love? Now he seriously felt sorry for the poor young woman… "I mean…She's cute and all but…she can't be compared to Zafina…But well…I love her, so…I have to be faithful."

" _Have to be faithful? Is this guy for real?_ You're terrible." The Japanese man mumbled and touched his head…

Hwoarang shrugged his shoulders… "Terrible? Maybe…I'll feel guilty about it later."

This guy…On the other hand, Tougou considered Hwoarang lucky. He didn't doubt his feelings for that girl but he seemed pretty clueless when it came to take in consideration other people's feelings…He was able to share and express genuinely his feelings with the girl he loved, yet he was here fantasizing about a random woman. Could it be that he was the only one, who had erased the rest of the female population and had only eyes for Julia? Or it could be that the man next to him was just too embarrassed or afraid to let himself fall too deep into the emotion called love. Well, that was something he could somehow understand…

Hwoarang's eyebrow twitched when he noticed of how Tougou was looking at him. Was he making fun of him? He thought, even though, Tougou was feeling actually sorry for Asuka… "Tsk…Don't give me that look!" he said and pointed at him… "And you're the one to talk?! When we first saw her you were drooling the whole time."

"What?! When did I…You're mistaken." It was the first time for Hwoarang to witness a tensed reaction coming from the black haired Japanese man next to him…

He smirked and crossed his arms… "You can just agree with me or admit it. Your woman isn't here in the first place."

Tougou frowned and pursed his lips. Ok, ok…He had to admit that she was easy on the eyes but she could never surpass Julia. However, he would never let Hwoarang know… "Please…" he started… "Be sure to not spout your nonsense in front of that woman…" he paused momentarily… "Including Lars, too."

"Ok…I guess…Anyway, there's something I need to ask you."

Tougou gave him a nod and motioned for him to continue…

"When are we going back?"

He rolled his eyes. He should have known… "Lars said that we're going back today."

"I see…And when am I…"

"I don't know." Tougou interrupted him guessing the next question. He raised his gaze and noticed Hwoarang's restless expression. He sighed… "Why don't you just call her?" he asked him…

The younger man scratched the back of his head and looked at the ceiling… "For a stupid reason…"

"I bet the reason is surely stupid."

Hwoarang narrowed his eyes but in the end decided to ignore him… "I'm…You see…Ugh…I'm hesitant."

Tougou had to admit that he caught him by surprise. That was not like him at all. Where was yesterday's enthusiasm? He opened his mouth to say something but Hwoarang was the one to talk first… "Don't expect from me to explain. I have no answer or idea…Just tell me…What should I do?"

The Japanese man frowned. He could sympathize… "For the time being…Some patience would be nice." Tougou could tell that Hwoarang was glaring angrily at him without even bothering to look… "I mean…I know how you feel but…"

"Yeah, yeah…I get it. Don't lose sight of my goal."

With this the two men stayed silent. Tougou decided that it was best for him to not get involved any further and it was true that Hwoarang wanted to do anything else but keep thinking of what was pestering him from the time he left…Soon enough, though, they heard someone's voice…

"Tougou…Hwoarang, good morning."

…

Lars Alexandersson walked inside the room alongside Zafina, who was a few steps behind of him. She was still awkward around the place and she believed that it would take quite a lot of time for her to get used to it. She watched around the place and her eyes fell on the table in front of the two men. Lars told her that they were going to have breakfast but the only things she saw were some coffee and…what kind of dishes were they? She definitely didn't expect to see the usual breakfast she had back in the village everyday but what was this? She glanced towards Lars, who was probably thinking the same thing. The blond man raised his head and noticed Hwoarang and Tougou having peacefully their coffee. Some dishes were empty, so that meant that they already had their breakfast. He looked at the woman behind him and motioned for her to walk further inside. She gave him a nod. In the same time, though, Tougou stood up from his seat and walked in front of her.

"Allow me to introduce myself, miss." He said and bowed slightly… "I'm Tougou and everything you need…please, do not hesitate to consult me. I'll be glad to be of help to you."

The black haired woman smiled faintly at his polite tone. Lars noticed this and was caught by surprise. Seems like Zafina was a woman, who appreciated courtesy quite a lot. If only he knew, he would let Tougou handle this from the very start…or he could just simply copy him…

"I'm Zafina…Nice to meet you, too…I appreciate your concern."

Hwoarang chuckled at Lars' priceless expression. However, even he was surprised to find out that Tougou had his way with women, as well. What an idiot? If he was to use it on Julia, she would be already his. All of a sudden, he set his cup on the table with a loud thud and made his way in front of Zafina…

"You flirt…" he mumbled making sure only Tougou heard him. When he watched his irritated face, he realized that he heard him. Hwoarang cleared his throat and returned his attention to the beautiful woman, who was standing before him… "My turn's now, I guess…I'm…"

Before he was ready to introduce himself, Zafina's vision started to get blurry. She touched the sides of her head with both of her hands while trying to repress the pain. Willingly, she made eye contact with Hwoarang's worried eyes… _«Ugh…I don't…want to…remember your crying face…you stupid girl.»_

"Y-You…" she tried to say still looking at him…Suddenly, she felt someone touching her trembling shoulders. It was a good thing that the pain was gone…

"Zafina, are you alright?" asked Lars and she nodded in return…

Hwoarang raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head. As beautiful as weird, he thought. He shook his head and grabbed gently her hands. They were so cold. Was she sick?

"Well…Whatever…Name's Hwoarang, pretty lady. Hope I can help, if needed…" he smirked mischievously… "I'm good in a lot of areas…Hm…Especially, those when the moon awakes."

Both Lars and Tougou rolled their eyes… "Hwoarang!" said Lars loudly with the other man paying him no attention…

"Shut it, old man…You will have her all to yourself eventually, so…"

Zafina blushed and touched her chest… "What…"

"Hwoarang!" he shouted again…

Once again, he ignored him and let out a big yawn. Lars cleared his throat and motioned for Zafina to have a seat. He glanced at the dishes once again… "How come they cooked something like…this?"

Tougou tried to say something but the auburn haired man pushed him angrily away… "What…What the hell do you mean by "like this"? When, mighty I, went out of my way to cook for all of us?"

"You d-did this?" asked Lars surprised. He had to realize sooner or later that whenever something comes to Hwoarang is not a surprise but an expected fact. An arrogant smirk appeared on the younger man's lips…

"Heh…Kimchi, my master's favorite. Soybean soup and rice…My daily breakfast...I mean, when I have…I usually wake up when it's time for d-dinner…" He scratched his temple… "Ah…Oh! And the most important…Coffee."

Lars smiled… "Well, thank you…You always surprise me."

A sigh was heard all of a sudden… "It's not a matter of surprise, Lars…Can't you tell? He definitely has his reasons. If not he would be still sleeping." He looked at him… "Why don't you tell him? What you asked me, I mean…"

Hwoarang clenched his fists. Why did that guy have to butt in? His attention took a woman's figure, who was making her way inside the room. He sighed in relief. That was a chance for him to avoid this…It was a good thing that even Lars realized that his newest lieutenant wasn't thinking too well of Nina.

"Forget about it…" he said and sighed… "Nina's coming and I'm way too tired to deal with her." He turned his gaze towards Tougou… "You coming?"

He gave him a nod… "Uh…yeah, we're done eating already."

When they arrived towards the exit, Tougou opened the door but Hwoarang stopped and turned his head to look at Zafina… "By the way, Zafina…" he started saying and she looked at him… "Good luck, here…You'll need it, baby."

Lars sighed when the two men walked away. He, then, heard Zafina's voice…

"Why is he…?"

"Don't worry about it. They have some problems on their own…So, no need to mind them. They're dealing with it themselves."

Zafina decided to not ask any further either way. However, she just found out that the auburn haired man wasn't just a soldier here. Maybe, even he didn't know the "real reason" he was here…In this war…If she knew better of him, maybe, she would have a clue about what it may had been...And no, she wasn't referring to Baek. She, at least, was able to find out about what happened to him when she made eye contact with Hwoarang. Both his hatred of Kazuya and love of his master were obvious in the insides of his soul. But to whom was he talking to? She didn't see that person…Only, that she was a woman and that because of Hwoarang's words. She shook her head. This man wasn't in her plan, she had to admit, though, that his existence wasn't "unimportant". It hasn't passed a day since she left the village and she was here having visions again. If they were helpful, at least, she wouldn't mind…

"Here already?"

A feminine voice woke up Zafina from her thoughts. She turned her head and watched Nina Williams entering the room. This woman was so expressionless that she was surpassing her in that. Nina was a very difficult person to find out what she might be thinking. Well, actually, she had no reason to actually try and read her, since she was always taking orders. Then, Lars spoke…

"Hehe…Seems like you were the late one…Anyway…" he then, looked at the woman next to him… "Nina, this is…"

"We have already met." Said Nina interrupting him. Then, Lars realized that there was definitely a chance for them to have met in the past…

"I guess you did…" he mumbled… "…it makes sense, actually…"

Zafina narrowed her eyes when she made eye contact with Nina. She, then, looked at Lars, who returned her gaze. She seemed like she wanted to say something but with that woman here, she didn't want to risk it. She knew of her past…her sister…and even that she had a son…Steve Fox's blue eyes entered her mind. How could such a kind hearted man be related to that woman? However, what Zafina didn't know was that Nina was forced to give birth to him.

Nina raised an eyebrow confused. Why was she looking at her like that? She shrugged her shoulders being uninterested in her and took a seat opposite Lars, who was still concerned about Zafina. Being completely out of topic, he believed that her anxiousness was a cause of the sudden change of environment for her. Actually, a lot of people would think the same way he did. A frown appeared above his blue eyes…

"Are you really alright?" he asked the black haired woman once again… "Could it be that you still lack sleep? We can leave later if…"

She shook her head negatively. Zafina was disappointed in herself. _This is a mission…This is just a mission l-like all the others, I've been._ She was trying to keep herself together by repeating these words inside her mind. They did a little help for her, though…No, no…This is not how it was supposed to be. She really was alone now…Even though she was going to work with a group this time, she, still, felt like she was alone. What's the point when people cannot understand you in the first place? Zafina could tell that everyone was looking at her like she came from another planet. Even Hwoarang, who at first seemed pretty easygoing, she could tell that he felt strange around her when she saw that vision with him and another woman inside. It was a relief that Tougou was acting normally. It seemed to her that, she should be the one to keep up with their way of lifestyle or else…

"No!" she cut him off… "We're leaving as soon as possible. If you really need my help, then, we should move fast." She said once again staring fiercely at him…

 **Japan, Osaka…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu, Second Military Base Entrance…**

A young woman hid behind a tree trying to force her partner to do the same. Something difficult because of its size. She looked at the four soldiers, who were guarding the entrance. They would be a piece of cake, she thought in the inside but she wasn't here to cause trouble…for the time being. If they were to do something bothersome to her, she was definitely going to come back and have her revenge. Anyway, she had another card under her sleeve…actually, inside her handbag. She opened it and took out the small card. Her picture was inside and as expected her name and everything else concerning information about her. Someone could call this card a "gift" from Heihachi Mishima. It was her ticket to everything and everywhere inside the Mishima Zaibatsu property. She thought that it was pointless for her to stand there without doing anything and decided to make her move. She looked at her partner and pet, Panda, giving her a reassuring smile…

"It's time." She said giving a pat on Panda's head. She looked towards the entrance once again and tightened her fists. She had made her decision. Jun wasn't going to be alone in all of this. She was trying to support her as she could but it seemed that having a power like Jun's was the real deal. That saddened her, even though, she knew that Jun was satisfied with what she was doing for her. But words like these were expected from a kind and full of love person like that woman.

She shook her head to dismiss these thoughts. Jun had given her a mission and she was going to succeed it. She nodded and started making her way there, only for Panda to stop her. She noticed the worry in her eyes and smiled… "Don't worry…I'll be fine." After saying that she turned to leave without being stopped this time…

For a brief moment, she opened her handbag, once again, to check if she had everything. She had to be sure of it and closed it again after nodding to herself. Yes…She had to be strong in front of Panda but she was actually really afraid of how Asuka was going to react. As Jun said, her niece must be already feeling a bit different and without being aware of her powers that would make her unpredictable and possibly aggressive towards others. She had to be careful and approach her cautiously…

She didn't realize that she arrived in front of the entrance until she heard one of the soldiers calling her…

"What do you want here, missy? This is a military base not an amusement park."

Her eyebrow twitched in irritation. He rubbed salt in her wound. Oh how much did she wish to be in an amusement park right now with her friends? She sighed…It will be a lot of time until she goes to one…and IF she ever goes again. You could never know. Everyone could be an innocent victim of an upcoming war…Why not her, right?

"Is that so?" she said ironically… "I'm not here for that actually in the first place."

"Then, why are you here? And how did you find the place? Are you a spy?"

She crossed her arms. What a pathetic guy? "Seriously, man? If I was a spy, I would be already fired."

The man frowned when he noticed her sarcastic words… "This is the last time I'm asking you. Why are you here?"

"None of your business." She said at first but then stopped and relaxed the muscles on her face. She opened her handbag and took out the card with her name and photograph inside…This time she smiled something that confused him and showed him the card… "Well…Forgive my previous rudeness. I'm not really like that…I guess, the distance caused me to be a little tensed. Anyway…Is this enough evidence to convince you that my business is private and I can still do whatever I wish here?"

The man took the card from her hand and gave it another look… "Give me your ID." He said and she complied. It was expected. Her eyes never left his figure until he raised his head to look at her… "Fine…" he said and gave her back both the ID and her card. She placed them inside her handbag and he spoke again… "Let me check you and then you can go inside…and your handbag, too."

A frown appeared between her eyebrows. What an annoying guy? Were they really lacking women and he was desperate to touch one? No…It was true that after Lars Alexandersson took over the Zaibatsu lots of females were applying for a place in the Tekken Force…including Asuka, correct?

"Whatever…Don't touch any weird parts!"

The soldier blushed feverishly while hesitating to touch her… "I-I…w-w-wouldn't!"

 **Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 17

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 17**

 **Japan, Osaka…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Second Military Base…**

The soldier eyed her suspiciously for a last time. She didn't have anything harmful on her body. If only he knew with whom he had to deal with. Well…She didn't expect too much from the people here. This was the second base anyway. Ling Xiaoyu could take down the whole First Base in Tokyo, if she wanted. She had done it once and not to mention with Heihachi Mishima's most trusted bodyguards. Back then, Xiaoyu felt a little bit sorry for them, since they were fired the day after. But her guilt didn't last too much…When she made eye contact with Jin Kazama and noticed the sweet smile towards her direction, she forgot all of her other worries. She had returned _that_ smile…Yes, this was the place she was supposed to be from the very moment she was born…

The man allowed her to go inside after giving her a last warning in which she rolled her eyes. She made her way inside with slow steps trying to seem as normal as…not always…as she could. Xiaoyu heard the man closing the gate and sighed in relief. The first part of her plan was completed. Now she had to find Asuka Kazama. She narrowed her brown eyes with a new resolve as Jun's injured body entered her mind. The young woman was aware that sooner or later Jun would leave her side but, as selfish as it may be, she just wanted to be a little longer with her. She shook her head to dismiss the disturbing thought. Yeah, maybe, she was selfish but she just wanted to be with this woman…She couldn't help it.

Before walking further inside, Xiaoyu checked for the journal and the pendant inside her handbag. Seems like that stupid of a soldier didn't touch them. She giggled when she remembered what happened back there…

"Thanks, Jin, for keeping that." She said in a low voice. Seems like he still allowed her to take advantage of the Mishima Zaibatsu's property but this was way too much… "And they call themselves soldiers of the Tekken Force…Hehe…" she touched her chest and sighed… "Who would believe that a mere ward would have entrance in such an important place?" she stopped for a moment… "Probably, that guy…Whatever…"

Xiaoyu looked around her and noticed how both men and women were staring at her. She shrugged her shoulders…She then decided to approach two soldiers, who were coming towards her. She put on one of her sweet smiles and stopped them…

"Excuse me…" she said and they flinched…

"A normal girl!" they said in unison. She sighed in the inside. Looks like she had to deal with another pair of idiots…

"It's been such a long time since we saw one." Said one of them with a nostalgic expression and the other one nodded in agreement…

"Can you help me with something?" she asked and they nodded…

"Sure, ma'am!"

" _Ma'am? What am I? Some kind of old hag?_ " she thought irritated but managed to not show it on her face… "Can you tell me where can I find Asuka Kazama?"

She raised an eyebrow when a scared expression covered their faces. What's happening here? For a moment, she wondered if her powers had already awakened and she was using them the wrong way…It can't be! She breathed in and out… "P-Please…" she murmured…

The two men exchanged glances and then turned to Xiaoyu with one of them giving her a nod in which she smiled…

…

Even though, Hwoarang was gone, "normality" never abandoned Lili Rochefort or Asuka Kazama. With no one daring to stop them, their fights were as relentless as ever. Lili would provoke Asuka for the smallest thing and as the hotheaded one that she was, she would fall into her trap. However, even the young blonde woman could sense a difference in her rival's actions. She wasn't sure about what it was. Maybe Hwoarang? That could be a 100% possibility, since what other worries did she have? Asuka wasn't a very attentive person and she could let easily her "emotional" guard down. Lili let out an exasperate sigh when she would recollect this once in a while. She remembered what she told him…that for now she will be taking care of her rival. Sometimes she would realize that she was doing actually nothing…

Asuka gave Lili a last kick, who fell onto the ground…

She nodded inside her mind while rubbing her left thigh. Yeah…Her daily horoscope was right. Sometimes when she wanted to justify one of her failures, she would blame it on her horoscope. For sure, no one believed her but Lili didn't care of others' opinion. All she wanted was to be calm for herself…only, she would be the judge of herself. She bit her lip angrily when Asuka looked arrogantly at her again. She had to get used to that look by now…but she didn't want to. However, she relaxed her expression when she noticed Asuka raising suspiciously her gaze as she looked in front of her…

"Who are you?" asked the Japanese girl to the person opposite her…

Lili frowned confusingly. Who was she talking about? It was just the two of them here… "Who are you talking about, idiot?" she said and stood slowly up…She turned her body to see where Asuka was looking and her eyes widened…She knew who it was but what she didn't know was why a person like her was here…

"Hello there, you two!" said Ling Xiaoyu cheerfully as she raised her arm…

Lili nodded to herself. She was right…It was that Chinese girl. Asuka crossed her arms under her chest and raised an eyebrow. She seemed familiar to her, too… "Have we met…before?"

The two girls waited for her response… "Who knows?" she said and shrugged her shoulders… "Maybe yes…hehe…maybe…not." Xiaoyu placed a finger under her chin as she thought of something… "I recently found out that we were in the same tournament."

For a moment, Asuka stayed in her previous expression but she, suddenly, started laughing. Lili's eyes widened. What was with her? Was she trying to play it smart in front of Xiaoyu, too? If yes…then, she would just "ask for it"…Lili Rochefort was aware of the older girl's achievements and she had to admit that she was impressed…

"Haha…" Asuka placed a hand on her chest to stop herself from laughing. She watched, however, the girl opposite her having the same smile…That was weird… "A girl like YOU inside that tournament?" she then glanced at Lili, who looked away and smirked to herself… "Rochefort, you can laugh, too."

But Lili just couldn't let it pass. She wanted to make a fool out of her rival and with Xiaoyu in front of them she wouldn't let go of that chance… "I wouldn't laugh in your situation, Miss Kazama."

The blonde girl's words made her look questionably at her direction… "What…"

"I've told you once that I'm interested in the fighters of the tournament…" she started saying and crossed her arms… "This woman is Ling Xiaoyu. She's a year older than you and…Hehe…As a Japanese that you are, you have to show her the appropriate respect…" a sigh left her mouth… "Difficult for a brute as yourself…That I know."

"HUH?!"

Lili shook her head once again… "She's under the Mishima Zaibatsu's protection…Well, at least when Heihachi Mishima was still the head of the company. She practices Chinese Martial Arts…She's well known inside the tournament and I could add that she's…umm…kind of respected in a way." She paused for a moment but, then, she remembered something… "Oh! And she's the girl in one of the photos with Hwoarang."

This time even Xiaoyu was surprised. Asuka pursed her lips trying to remember her but she just couldn't… "Well, now that you mention it…She looks like that girl in the photo."

Her rival rolled her eyes… _"That's because it is her, you imbecile!"_

Asuka was ready to say something but to their surprise Xiaoyu interrupted her… "How do you know of this idiot!? Is he here?" she asked but then looked at the ground while talking to herself in a low voice… "No…n-no…There's no way, a person like Hwoarang would join forces with the Mishima Zaibatsu…" but then, a thought entered her mind. She knew of Baek and how he died… "Actually…I can think of a reason… _Revenge once again with Kazuya being the target_ …"

"What are you mumbling there?" asked Asuka irritated waking up Xiaoyu from her previous thoughts…

The Chinese girl shook her head and smirked arrogantly… "I have to say that I'm impressed you know that much about me, though I, honestly, didn't know I was THAT respected."

"How did you get inside here?" Lili made the question she wanted to find out…

Xiaoyu opened her handbag without saying anything for now…

"Don't tell me you joined the army?" said Asuka jokingly…

"Uh…no…I'm too busy for that…" she said and nodded to herself… "I, actually, don't believe that the battlefield is going to help you get revenge."

"KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOURSELF!" the two rivals said in unison and surprised looked at each other…Xiaoyu just smiled once again…

"Oh…please, girls…You're in the army." She pointed at them… "You have to be sharp and listen carefully…I said "I believe", didn't I?"

Asuka rolled her eyes… "You can add obnoxious in her profile, too."

It was time for Lili to agree with her rival but ONLY inside her mind. She would never admit anything about Asuka being right and not to mention out loud. Well, she had to take advantage of Xiaoyu's sure victory against Asuka, so she had to be on her good side. Lili tilted her head when she watched the older Chinese girl taking something out of her handbag. It seemed like a card or something. Xiaoyu caressed the card with two of her fingers and then, handed it to the confused Asuka right opposite her. The last one narrowed her eyes but decided to check out what she gave her. While she was reading it, she heard Xiaoyu's voice… "This is my proof…or, let's call it, my personal "key"…" she paused for a moment but continued when both Lili and Asuka were looking suspiciously at her… "I can do whatever I want…whenever I want it…inside the Mishima Zaibatsu property." Xiaoyu giggled to herself. She expected this kind of reaction… "And all that…thanks to grandpa Heihachi."

"It's…t-true, then." Mumbled Lili and Xiaoyu gave her a slight nod before turning her attention to Asuka once again, who was silent…

The Japanese girl threw the card to Xiaoyu, who caught it with one hand... "What…Why are you here? What do you want?"

Xiaoyu pursed her lips and pointed a finger towards Asuka… "You." She said casually…

"M-Me?" mumbled Asuka touching her chest…

"Yup…I need to talk to you about something…And you have to listen to what I have to say." She tightened her fists when she recalled Jun's gentle smile… "You need to face your responsibilities…finally…"

Asuka narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms under her chest… "You…Kidding me, right? I don't even know you…Just go back to your own little happy world…" Xiaoyu bit angrily her upper lip when she heard those words… _Go back to your own little happy world, she says?_... "I'm not planning in becoming your personal maid just because you're considered a VIP here."

Xiaoyu tried to calm herself down. She made mistakes, too. She had to be more careful in how she was supposed to do things…But now, it was late. In the end, she chose the other way… "A person like you…Hehe…You wouldn't be even capable to be one, so why would I choose you…But…" she let out a sigh… "As your senpai, you could have shown me some…you know…expected respect."

"Tsk…Dream on!"

"Whatever…It's pointless and…tiring…to keep arguing with you. We don't have lots of time…You need to listen to me."

Asuka found herself in front of Xiaoyu in just a second and punched her, only for the last one to grab tightly her fist. The younger girl blinked her eyes. She had underestimated her. She snapped her hand away from her grip and made a step back… "Forget it! I have a feeling that you'll talk bullshit anyway."

The black haired woman's eyebrows created a frown above her brown eyes… "Bullshit is all you are talking about. With this blonde girl…and with everyone inside here. I won't let her get hurt because of selfish people anymore. Be it you or anyone else."

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

Xiaoyu brought her gaze to the ground. What was she supposed to say now? She tightened her fists and looked clueless at her… "You…Jun Kazama…You don't know her?"

"Jun Kazama?" Asuka sighed and shook her head… "Seriously, now? Just because we have the same last name that doesn't mean that I know her."

 _This c-can't be!_ Thought Xiaoyu… "She was your father's older sister…He never talked to you about her? W-Weird…This woman was the "Chosen One" of the Kazamas."

Asuka started getting irritated with what she was listening to. She had enough problems on her own. The stupid "thing" beside her was one of these… "What the fuck…My dad was an only child." Xiaoyu's eyes widened. Could it be that the man never actually talked about Jun? Or that her whole family despised her thinking that she was different except from her brother, who loved her dearly? All these were things, which used to worry Jun in the past. When she still hadn't dealt with her powers…

"Did you ask him if he had any siblings and said that he had none?" Asuka had to admit here that she was caught by surprise. It was true that she barely knew the family members from her father's side… "And not to mention…You're already aware that _my_ Jin is your cousin." Right…Her father told her about that but she was just so enraged by what was happening around her that she didn't pay it much thought…

"Unfortunately…" she mumbled and Xiaoyu frowned… "Well…anyway, I have no time for you." She gave a glance towards Lili, who seemed like she was thinking about something. That was totally "off"… "Hey, blondie!" she called her and Lili turned to her direction… "Let's go."

"Just a moment…Is there a way for me to have some of that "precious" time of yours?"

A playful smirk appeared on Asuka's lips. Now they were getting somewhere… "Are you looking for a fight, "senpai"?"

Xiaoyu gave her a simple nod… "Bingo! If you win, I leave in an instant…Well, if I win, though…I'm getting some of your time…Deal?"

"Ok…" she said simply and tightened her fists… "Bring it!"

Lili Rochefort brought a hand to her face and shook her head… "Idiot…She was smart enough to know how to tempt you…You brought this on yourself."

…

The black haired woman witnessed the one opposite her taking her fighting stance. She rolled her eyes in the inside, even though, she knew that she shouldn't underestimate Asuka Kazama. She let out a sigh and, in the end, bowed respectfully in front of her as her grandfather taught her. Asuka smirked ironically at this. She didn't share Xiaoyu's feelings of "not wanting to underestimate her opponent". She was sure of herself…Confidence laid inside her soul…not arrogance. That was what she believed, when the rest of the world thought otherwise. Lili Rochefort felt sad for a moment. If only cellphones and cameras were allowed…Tsk, tsk…Unfortunately, this loss of Asuka's would be just for her eyes…Well, it wasn't that bad…

"You're taking this quite seriously, aren't you?" she asked and Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow…

"Of course, I do…Since, I want to show you how, actually, important is what I want to tell you." She stopped… "I can give you another minute to think…I'm willing to go till the end."

"Quit your yapping and let's fight!"

Xiaoyu smiled and nodded, while taking her fighting stance…

…

Lili's beautiful blue eyes were witnessing a very pleasurable sight…How lovely? Asuka's dumbfounded and new excitingly distressed expressions were a masterpiece. She had to memorize every single move of Xiaoyu's. Such a complicated fighting style. Should she try it, too? She wondered for a moment but dismissed the thought completely. Her graceful movements were one of the things that made her significant inside the tournament. However, just like Asuka, Lili was a little bit ahead of herself…

The blonde tall girl flinched when Asuka kicked her opponent right in the stomach. That must have been a very strong hit…But…All the dust, Asuka's powerful kick created, started to disappear and instead of a poor girl lying "almost" lifeless on the ground, both Lili and Asuka watched Xiaoyu being casually in her so called phoenix stance. The Japanese girl was never going to give up even though things seemed troublesome now…In the back of her mind, she noted that actually experience was a pretty important factor in fighting. What if she had beaten fighters? The young woman in front of her faced this kind of strong fighters, two tournaments before she did…

Xiaoyu never lost eye contact with Asuka, something that distressed the last one. She was always on alert and waited for her opponent's any possible move. She smirked in the inside. Training with Jin, in the past, and now Jun, made her being able to recognize some of their basic moves…but you could never know. If Hwoarang was actually here, he might have taught them some of his kicks. Xiaoyu decided to be the first one to move. She started approaching Asuka still in her phoenix stance. The younger woman was an impulsive and inpatient person. Xiaoyu was able to realize this and she was going to take advantage of it. As expected, soon enough, Asuka tried to land a low kick, only for her to realize that her opponent with a high jump had already found herself right behind her. She disarmed her from behind by entwining her hands with her own…However, this was not the end…

"See now? The difference between the two of us?" Xiaoyu whispered making sure only Asuka heard her… "What about I help your companion find out the same thing, then?"

Asuka didn't say anything back. From then on, it was just like Xiaoyu said. Different kind of kicks, pokes and sometimes punches would be used by her. Thankfully, the Chinese girl released her with a flip letting her fall on the ground. She breathed in and out…That had to be done…unfortunately…But it managed to raise a little Xiaoyu's spirits…Jin had NEVER underestimated her abilities and she would allow to a mere newbie to do it? Hell, no…

…

"H-How…did that…happen?" Asuka stammered still sitting on the ground. She was looking aimlessly around her trying to realize her loss over some "small" girl. A shadow appeared above her. Her rival placed her arms at each side of her waist with a gaze full of satisfaction in her eyes…

"I lived to see that…" she started and raised her body… "Asuka Kazama being defeated…and humiliated…" she added… "Right in front of my eyes. Splendid!"

The Japanese girl ignored her rival's mockery. She brought her gaze to meet Xiaoyu's. She wore an expression full of pride. She had seen this, once in the past but now it felt different. There was no hint of the usual arrogance she, as Asuka, always emitted. Ling Xiaoyu was just…proud of herself…About what _she_ achieved and not to make the crowd see… _This girl was fighting for herself…not to show off…or…take revenge…_ Deep inside, Asuka Kazama knew that this match…was to Xiaoyu's favor from the very start…She deserved to win…She, also, remembered what she whispered to her during their fight… _See now? The difference between the two of us?_ However, making a big mistake once again, she would never try to change or admit her wrongdoings. This match was just a loss…She had dealt with this and now she's moving forward…

"You were dodging almost all of my moves…" she shouted and shook her head… "Impossible!"

Xiaoyu walked to her place and gave her a hand to pull her up, only for Asuka to snap it away… "DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT!" she said in a serious fake strict tone… "You don't want to even imagine how many times I wrote this phrase because of my grandfather's ridiculous whims…Damn…Even remembering it, is annoying. He made me write it in even in Japanese…Well, I was standing the language back then, so you could call it a practice…Anyway…"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Lili's eyebrow twitched… "Do not swear in my presence, Miss K…"

"Same goes for you, Rochefort! You seem to enjoy the situation quite a lot."

A sigh left her pink lips… "That would be a pointless denial from my side." Asuka gritted her teeth, stood up and walked in front of Xiaoyu, only inches away from her face…

"Why did you…win against me? H-How?"

For a slight moment, the Chinese girl looked away but then brought her gaze to make eye contact with her… "Don't misunderstand, please. I'm not a Kazama Style Karate practitioner…but…umm…due to certain…circumstances…I managed to deal quite good with it."

Asuka raised an eyebrow… "And not to mention that you were pretty easy…I wonder how you are related to Jun Kazama and _my_ Jin." She heard her again and her eyes widened…

"You bitch!"

Xiaoyu pouted playfully and crossed her arms under her chest… "Enough! We had a bet, I won…End of discussion. Let's talk…" this time she frowned… "Don't worry…I'm in a hurry, too… _If I leave her alone any longer…she…_ So, please…Just hear me out."

The two girls noticed Xiaoyu's seriousness in her voice. Since the moment she appeared, Lili believed that, indeed, the older girl might have something important to say. And the fact that she knew Jin Kazama made her even more suspicious to her. She looked towards Asuka, who still seemed uninterested in her. Who knows? Maybe, she even had information about how Hwoarang was doing…

"Ok, she will listen to what you have to say."

Asuka's deep brown eyes widened… "I…w-what, Rochefort?!"

The blonde girl moved closer to her and said… "Didn't you listen? She knows Jin Kazama…She might, also, have information about what Hwoarang's up to."

Both Xiaoyu and Asuka opened their mouths. Each one for her own reason. The older one because Lili mentioned Jin's name…and, obviously, Asuka because she mentioned Hwoarang's name.

"What's your business with Jin?! He's… _mine_ …"

The Japanese girl rolled her eyes. This guy was just so overrated…He even died! If he was someone important or strong enough, he would be alive now. That poor girl opposite her…She seemed so pitiful…Strong…but pitiful.

"Business with a dead guy? As if…Who does he think he is anyway? The only thing he did was to win a tournament and…umm…what's the other one? Make a war, which, in the end, just destroyed people's properties and even…lives." Asuka smirked when Xiaoyu narrowed angrily her eyes… "And what happened in the end? Lars Alexandersson…killed him."

Lili nodded proudly… "As expected of Master Lars."

Xiaoyu was conflicted between two things…Laugh or cry (from laughter)…She found them pathetic. If only their beloved Master Lars or Hwoarang were here? What would they say? They would definitely not laugh or even fake a smile of satisfaction. Lars wouldn't be able to do it…but Hwoarang would, at least, manage to fake it. He was arrogant. He was holding countless grudges against Jin but still…Even though he was stubborn, he knew of Jin's gentle soul and loyalty. At least, that was a trait of the Korean man's that kept his friendship with Xiaoyu still alive…

The brunette walked close to Xiaoyu and patted her shoulder… "Whatever…I upset you, so, since I feel a little bad…I'll hear you out."

" _Yeah, right…"_ thought Xiaoyu in the inside…She watched the two making their way towards a small building and followed them…

…

When they arrived in front of the building, Lili took a pair of keys outside her pocket. In the same time, Xiaoyu noticed the name written on the door. She swallowed hard…Hwoarang was making mistakes one after another. It ended badly for him two years ago and the situation would be much worse this time, since one of these two girls was definitely in love with him. Lili smiled when she opened the door and Asuka shoved her inside while walking behind her. Soon enough, Xiaoyu did the same closing the door. She watched around the room. Hwoarang didn't leave any of his traces behind…except something. While she was fighting Asuka back then, she noticed something hanging around her neck. It was definitely Hwoarang's pendant. She remembered that he lost it during the fifth tournament and she helped him search for it…Yeah, that was it…

"How can two recruits be allowed inside the Captain's…room?" asked Xiaoyu…

Asuka chuckled… "Hehe…Amazed?"

Xiaoyu placed her hands on her hips… "More like…Confused?"

The blonde younger woman found herself surprised… "Confused? Don't you know who's the captain? I bet you do…and quite well."

"Don't tell me…Hwoarang…In the end, it is him. _Even though, I saw the name on the door, I hoped that it was still a mistake…_ " She mumbled as she made sure that this man was indeed here aiding the Mishima Zaibatsu and more importantly Lars Alexandersson…But then, she realized that even though this man was the captain here that didn't mean anything. Hwoarang was in a serious mode while working and fighting…but could it actually be… "Which one of you is in love with him?"

Both of them stayed wide mouthed. She, immediately, hit the spot…Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow… "Why are you so surprised?" this time she giggled… "Don't tell me both of you are? That Hwoarang and his hidden charms…"

Lili shook her head multiple times in denial. Well, as the person that she was, she considered herself having a decent taste. Hwoarang and Asuka fit themselves together just perfectly. Two of a kind… "No…No way! How can you insult me?" she then pointed at the surprised Asuka… "It's this woman…here."

"You stupid, Rochefort! You're not getting away with this…Prepare to face…" Asuka was ready to punch Lili but Xiaoyu stopped her with her voice…

"Oh no…" she placed her palm on her face… "What's with this guy? Did the universe conspire against him when he was born?" Xiaoyu raised her gaze to notice the two girls looking skeptically at her. She smiled and walked towards his office sitting on top of it…

"Anyway…As I said, I don't want to take much of your time. You have your own duties as soldiers here, right?" she didn't expect an answer and continued… "I need to pass something to you…" Asuka raised an eyebrow when Xiaoyu took out a thing that resembled a necklace and a notebook… "Before I give you these, I need to talk to you about your aunt…I mean since you weren't aware even of her existence. Me…As Xiaoyu…The time I spent with her…Even in these days…It felt so magical…safe…warm…and even nostalgic in a way but not of home…" the young woman turned to look at Asuka, who was still uninterested… "Jun never stopped worrying about you…She wrote so many things inside this notebook…" she said and showed it to her… "I never looked inside…honestly…She told me that, you would feel scared…maybe…as she did…but unlike her, you would have people, who loved you…Cherish you…and support you in every way." Xiaoyu stood up from the office and placed, first, the journal on it…Then, she brought her hand on her chest… "I will do the same…My best! But not only me…You know that, too, don't you?" The Chinese girl closed her eyes and a tear fell from her eye… _Jun_ … _"I will support Asuka…But will you show me some of your support? I ask too much, aren't I? I'm sorry…You have already given me more than enough…"_ Xiaoyu shook her head dismissing this selfish wish…

"Are you done?" asked Asuka in a calm voice making even Lili stand up because of this. Was she really that uninterested? Xiaoyu pursed her lips… _Calm down, Xiao…You came prepared, didn't you?_ In the same time, she was a little relieved when she noticed that she at least had Lili's approval. Could it be that even she felt something? Or wanted to learn? Well, if it was true and she was spending that much time with Asuka, then, she would be one of the first people to notice the change. Maybe, it would have been a good idea to speak with her in private, too.

"Kind of…But not really…"

"Please do, then." She said and relaxed on the couch placing her legs on the coffee table…

Xiaoyu placed the pendant inside Asuka's palm with her looking strangely at it. Lili, also, tried to take a good look of it from behind her rival. It was so pretty, she thought…It would definitely not suit her…Yeah…Definitely, not… "This pendant belongs to the women of your family…But as the Chosen One, your aunt was the rightful owner…"

"Then, it belongs to her! Why give it to me?"

"Your other female relatives didn't have her powers and that caused them to consider her the black sheep…Actually, now, I'm starting to realize, why your father never told you." Asuka raised an eyebrow…She mentioned her dad once again…A soft spot for Asuka Kazama… "He wanted to protect you from them…Yeah…Maybe, he found out that you were the other one born with these abilities…I think…even though…it's not fair…that he did the right thing. You were still so young...And Jun had told me of how much she loved him. She said that he was the only one, who still saw her as his "older sister" and not the "Chosen One"."

Suddenly, Asuka remembered something. Sometimes, she would catch her father crying while looking at a certain picture. At first, she thought that it might be her mother's since she looked a little bit like her…but this woman abandoned them…Her father should have been angry…enraged…not crying. Could it be that this picture was one of his supposed elder sister's? She swallowed hard and shifted her position taking her legs off the coffee table. She didn't know if she would prefer this being true or false…but she couldn't help her curiosity. She watched Xiaoyu still talking about that person but she didn't care anymore… "Hey?" she called her and the other woman looked at her direction… "How did that woman looked like?"

Xiaoyu smiled cheerfully when she asked her. Her description was definitely right, since it fit perfectly. Maybe, she really was that woman's niece and shared her powers. What was she going to do? Was there a chance for her to transform into something creepy? What if he…What if…

"Please…calm down, ok? I guess, it's too much, since you didn't even know of her existence…But knowing of your power…and with the kind of love you receive…Your own abilities could, maybe, even surpass hers. You can…"

"Stop!" Asuka shouted at her… "I want to do nothing with this power thing. You and your beloved Jun have the wrong person…"

Lili appeared in front of her and tried to reason with her… "Seriously?!"

"Shut up!" she said once again and pushed forcefully her rival towards Xiaoyu's place, who caught her just in time…Asuka bit her upper lip and threw the pendant on the floor… "Just leave…And take these things with you."

Xiaoyu and Lili exchanged glances. The last one kneeled and took the pendant in her hands. She inspected it closer. Just as she thought…It was real and a retro piece. She looked at Xiaoyu once again, who seemed pretty disappointed. She touched her shoulder and whispered something to her. The older woman smiled faintly and nodded… "Miss Ling, I believe it's pointless for you to be here…" Xiaoyu tried to approach Asuka once again, only for her to step back. In the end, she looked at the taller woman and followed her outside the office…

Asuka sighed in relief when the other two left the room. Why did that have to happen? And NOW of all times…She felt bad for snapping at Xiaoyu, since she knew that the young woman was just trying to help her…But she had other things to worry about now. For a moment, she wondered what Lili said to the Chinese girl. It seemed like they were going to do something "against her"…and if not they were "thinking" of doing. However, she decided to not think about this for now. All she wanted was for Hwoarang to come back to her…

 **Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 18

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I do not own anything

 **CHAPTER 18**

 **Japan, Tokyo…**

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters…**

The mouse pad fell on the floor waking up Julia Chang from her thoughts. She didn't sleep last night at all and even, when Tougou called her to let her know that they were safe, she still wouldn't calm down, if she didn't see them with her own eyes. All of them…including Nina Williams, even though Julia knew that she would not appreciate anyone's concern. And anyway, the young woman was way too embarrassed to even look at her...The feeling would be definitely awkward. She wondered if her mother, Michelle, knew about Nina and if yes…What did she think of her?

Julia sighed and lowered her body to grab her laptop's mouse pad. Such a waste of time…To keep herself occupied she decided to continue working on her final essay before graduation. All these tournaments and stuff Julia had to deal with, kept her a little behind in her academics. However, she didn't care much about it. Not that she wanted to brag about it, Julia was well aware of her abilities when it came to studying. She had tutored lots of children in the past, too…She was smart and she knew it.

She stood up and buttoned her half buttoned white shirt. She fixed her two braids and took her cellphone in her hands. After taking a last good look of her face, she walked outside her room inside the Mishima Zaibatsu…

Before even managing to lock her room, Alisa appeared behind her giving her a startle… "Alisa!?" she called her name and touched her chest…

Alisa brought her hands together and bowed apologetically in front of Julia knowing that she surprised her, even though it wasn't on purpose… "Umm…P-Please, forgive me, Miss Chang…I should have been more careful."

Julia smiled reassuringly and shook her head… "Don't worry about it. It could, also, be my fault, since I was still dozed off."

The pink haired girl raised an eyebrow and Julia looked away… "Yeah…" she let out a breath… "I'm just…so…so…worried about them. Even though, Tougou said that they're ok…I just can't calm down if I don't see them with my own eyes."

The young girl opposite her smiled sweetly, something that Julia found confusing for an unknown reason… "I was coming to inform you actually…They came back."

"Huh?!"

She nodded… "Yes…They are inside Lars-senpai's o…" Julia ran off before Alisa managed to finish telling her what she wanted. She sighed and followed her with a smile. Julia's enthusiasm was quite obvious even to Alisa…

…..

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters…**

 **Lars' office…**

Zafina was leaning her body on the wall next to where the window behind Lars' office was. She stole a glance of the others, who were chatting randomly about things she didn't understand. What surprised her though was that Lars Alexandersson was silent. His body was right next to his best friend, who seemed like he was arguing with that Korean intriguing man. She still couldn't figure him out. She could tell though that she didn't make the best impression to him. A sigh escaped her lips. Her relationship with that man was meaningless, so there was no reason to worry about it. He didn't have to do anything with what she was supposed to do as part of her mission...He was interesting, though, for other reasons. She wasn't going to help him, if he was in trouble or…she would kill him, if _he_ was to be a threat to her mission and most importantly her people. However, the same thing was supposed to happen with the black haired man next to him…He was no different for her. But what was the case when it came to the blue eyed man opposite her? Zafina was feeling something dangerous whenever she was near him…She couldn't describe this danger…She had never felt it before, maybe that was the reason. What she was aware, though, was…that she would do anything to not let it create doubts, miscalculations and especially, divert her from the mission she needed to accomplish. Could it be that in the depths of her mind she knew what was going to happen? Maybe…Who knows?

The beautiful woman frowned and took her gaze away from the three men. She looked at her hand and noticed the handmade bracelet she was wearing as a gift from her beloved sister. She trailed it with her fingers. Amina put so much effort in making this. Her eyes had gotten red because she didn't get any sleep. Zafina had scolded her for this but all Amina said was that, she would lose her focus and inspiration if she was to give it up in the middle. The older sister didn't say anything back. She understood perfectly what her sister meant. In the past, right after her father's death, Zafina was training day and night without rest or food. As everyone expected, she collapsed and stayed in bed for whole three days…For that woman…That was a living nightmare…

As she tried to look outside the window, the front door opened forcefully and a young woman entered excitedly the room…

"You guys!"

Julia Chang sighed in relief and brought her hands to her chest. Yes…Now she could calm down. She checked everyone out. Lars was here…Tougou was here…That foul mouthed young man was here. She didn't see Nina Williams but that didn't surprise her. Why would this woman be here as she noticed that the three men were talking casually between them? She nodded in the inside…But then? Her eyes took a glimpse of a beautiful woman standing silently next to the window behind Lars' office. Julia tilted her head…She was definite that she knew her from somewhere. Suddenly, Zafina brought her brown eyes back and met Julia's, who flinched and averted quickly her gaze away from Zafina. The young girl could understand that the woman's look towards her wasn't intimidating, yet it felt kind of…intense. However, she didn't feel any negative aura from her. For a moment, she thought that it might have been her imagination…These last days, it was true that it was running "wild"…

"Julia."

Lars' calm voice woke her up from her thoughts. He got worried for a moment. She was there calling for them and the next minute was looking at the opposite direction. Then, he realized something…Julia exchanged glances with Zafina. He wondered for a moment…What was this woman doing? It wasn't like Julia to be unfocused. At the very end, the relief appeared on his handsome features as the younger woman showed him a very reassuring calm smile…

"Oh…I'm so happy you all made it back safely." She said making her way towards them…

A playful smirk crossed Lars' lips… "Eh…As I found out the only person you called, though, was Tougou…" he, then, turned to look at his friend, who was standing there dumbfounded… "Isn't that right?"

"Lars!"…his friend's voice wasn't loud but the slight anger was obvious… "I believe…uh…Julia thought that you might have been busy…You went through a lot after all."

The blond man sighed… "We went through the same things…Hwoarang, even."

"What's that supposed to mean?! Like…Even?!" However, Hwoarang's voice was loud enough to make even the level headed Zafina widen her eyes… "Us two were in a more difficult situation, since if something was to happen, we would have to save your sorry ass, Alexandersson."

"Hwoarang…Behave…" Tougou scolded him in a calm way. But his words were just the ones, which were going to make things worse…

"The hell…Shut it! I only take orders from my master…The rest of you, I don't give a shit. So, screw."

None of the others tried to say something…They didn't know what…The silence in the room was what Zafina needed to focus her mind on someone again…and that was the person, she decided to not have any interactions with…Once again this man…

 _His eyes were getting darker from crying…_

 _He didn't wipe the blood from his hands or change his clothes…_

 _Everything was blank…It was all his fault…The fallen bodies in front of him, behind and around him…_

 _But the person in his arms…Why? He brought his hand to that person's head and closed slowly his dead eyes. They were never going to look at him or sent shivers through his spine…And it was all his fault…_

 _In the end, he was no different than "him"_

Zafina's eyes widened… This boy…His hands were cold, yet his tears warm and full of regret. She shook her head and it was then when she found out that the others were looking at her. Julia had a concerned frown above her eyes…Tougou was puzzled, when Lars was there looking motionless at her. The only person Zafina watched though, was the man with the auburn hair. His expression had changed to a forlorn one…However, he was looking straight at her…

A sigh escaped his mouth and after raising his head once again he made his way towards the black haired woman. Hwoarang pulled the chair of Lars' office and almost effortlessly placed Zafina on top of it. She was still stunned in order to dissuade him from the act…

"Sit here until you feel better…You had a long journey. There's no need to push yourself…" with that he turned his back at her and walked towards the door, only for Lars to stop him with his voice…

"Where are you going?"

The younger man tilted his head… "Find Alisa and spend time with her…She's the only one, who's not becoming an eyesore."

After saying that he opened and then closed the door behind him…

…

From the time Hwoarang left the office there was a strange silence between them. Tougou was actually feeling guilty. He managed to find out from Lars about what made the Korean man join him and be part of the Tekken force. He stepped on his landmine. A sigh escaped his lips… _I have to apologize_ …He said to himself in the inside. However, Julia was the one, who decided to break the awkward atmosphere by walking towards Zafina having a kind casual smile on her face. She didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable…

"Umm…I'm Julia Chang. Nice to meet you…" she stopped and hesitated for a moment… "You're Zafina, correct?"

Her eyes widened slightly… "How do you know of me?"

The brown haired girl extended her arm to shake hands with her. She was cautious at first but Julia was a person with a welcoming aura around her. Zafina couldn't feel anything ominous coming from her. It was actually the first time she met a person with genuine innocent motives, since the time she left her village. Zafina returned her handshake and the younger woman sighed in relief… "You see…Two years ago, I tried to consult a woman about what was happening in the Middle East. My mother…for strange reasons…was having nightmares at that time, until I found out that her heirloom pendant was causing that distress to her…That pendant of hers has the power to sense and awaken evil. So, I took it off her and decided to make my research…Anyway." She paused and shook her head… "This woman told me that I should seek you out. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to search for you, since my boss needed me for a…umm…special m-mission."

Zafina gave her a nod… "Then…That's it." She said and Julia gave her a shy nod… "Miss Chang, I would be glad to have any conversation with you, if we ever have the time."

A grin crossed Julia's lips after listening to what the woman opposite her said. Seems like Zafina wasn't "that" unapproachable. You just needed to know the ideal way to approach her... "Oh thank you so much!...Uh…You can just call me Julia, alright?" Zafina didn't give her an answer, instead she smiled faintly to her direction…

Who would have guessed? A surprised expression was created on his face, as soon as Julia made Zafina smile. If only he knew, he would let her do the talking from the start. Now that he thought better of it, he should have considered taking her with them in the Middle East. However, with Kazuya out there…He would never risk Julia's safety. She was a girl, who went through a lot, as Lee told him. But he witnessed it, too, in a way…When he rescued her two years ago. It passed some time until she realized that she was safe and away from G Corporation. The color was drawn from her beautiful face…

Lars cleared his throat…

"That sounds…nice, actually." He said with a small smile… "Why don't you do it now, Julia?"

"What…Lars…But you…" she stammered and he walked to her side. He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing a blush on her cheeks. This was noticeable by him but decided to feign ignorance…

"Well, it's true that it was the first time I saw Zafina smile…and not to mention that you have been pretty lonely, right?" Julia tilted her head and glanced towards Zafina, whose expression never changed… "Tougou said so."

The Japanese man's eyes widened… "I said what?!"

Julia made a step back pushing gently Lars' hands away from her shoulders. Lars couldn't be more obvious. He wanted to be alone with Tougou. She flinched in the inside. How rude of her? She didn't even welcome him back. And he was so nice all this time, they were away. Calling her to let her know that they were doing alright and if she needed anything to not hesitate and call him. She clenched her fists. She was definitely going to talk to him later. All she did now, though, was to clasp her hands together cheerily…

"I got it!" she placed her hands behind her waist… "Zafina, would you like to try my mother's tea recipe? Those guys tried it but said that it was bitter…I need an honest opinion." Julia rolled her eyes in the inside. What kind of stupid things she was saying to the woman opposite her? A frown appeared above her eyes when Zafina stood up and walked to her side…

"I understand. We can also discuss those things you wanted to tell me about, right?"

Zafina made her way towards the exit and said once more… "Shall we take our leave?"

The younger woman looked towards Tougou for a moment, who flinched when his eyes made contact with her own. Julia stared at the floor for a spilt second and then back to Zafina… "Sure!" she answered and followed her… "Guys, we'll see you later."

Both Tougou and Lars gave her a nod and waited until the two women were outside the office…

…

The double black door closed silently and it was that time when Tougou, who was staring at the floor raised his gaze to look at his friend. Lars was still having his eyes on the door…

"You couldn't be way more obvious."

Lars chuckled. What was he supposed to do? Both Zafina and Julia were clever women. He would never be able to trick them even if he tried to think of a way… "Right, I guess…These two women would see right through me, even if I was trying to be oblivious."

His friend didn't give a comment but just scratched the back of his head… "Anyway…What's wrong?"

He hesitated for a moment… "I'm intending to visit Wang Jinrey."

"The reason? Is he having a lead or something?" asked Tougou without taking an answer… "You can trust me."

"There's no doubt on the fact of trusting you or not. I even trust you with my life."

A sigh escaped Tougou's lips… "Now you're turning our following conversation into a cliché soap opera."

Lars laughed slightly… "No, no…Sorry…I just need to talk to him. You could say that I'm going there for some advice."

The black haired man bit his upper lip. Lars asking for advice? Well, it was true that he started making "progress" on this…Some time ago, he even consulted him. Tougou crossed his arms and looked at his friend… "Is that so…Even if you say that…" he started saying raising an eyebrow in question… "Are you gonna take him seriously this time?"

Lars frowned after hearing his friend's question. He stayed silent for a moment wondering what he actually meant… "I don't understand your question."

Tougou breathed out. He had a feeling that Lars would find a way to avoid the question. In a way he was right, since he wasn't expecting from him a reply like that one… "Back then…Two years ago. You told me afterwards…" the Japanese man waited for any kind of movement from the other one but he didn't do anything… " _Alright, then…I'll say what I wanted from the very start._ That man told you to not trust Alisa…yet you did and..."

"Tougou?" he called his name interrupting him… "That's all in the past. There's no need to keep bringing it up."

With a purposely defeated expression Tougou shook his head and placed his hands on his waist… "I apologize…It's not my business after all."

"You don't have to be so dramatic, you know?" said Lars jokingly and Tougou's eyes widened…

"I'm being dramatic? This role is entirely yours, my friend."

Lars gave his friend a pressed smile. He knew that Tougou was right. Sometimes the fact that his friend seemed much more dependable to their comrades than he did was slightly irritating. But even he was letting a lot on the Japanese man's shoulders, how did he not expect from his soldiers to show so much respect towards him? However, what Tougou was telling him whenever his friend was complimenting him, was that these people still trusted Lars with their lives not him. In other words…The soldiers viewed Tougou as the respectable, dependable lieutenant, when Lars was their target of admiration, who deserved their absolute devotion…

"Hey…Boss." Tougou's voice was heard and Lars blinked his eyes several times. He shook his head when he noticed his friend's worried expression…

"Uh…S-Sorry…I spaced out." The man cleared his throat and walked with hurried steps towards the exit. His friend raised an eyebrow without taking his eyes off of him. He opened slightly the door and looked first on his left and then right. Lars nodded to himself and closed the door in front of him. Good…There was no one around…

"What was that?"

"Have a seat and I'll explain." Said Lars and walked to sit on his chair…He, soon, watched Tougou doing the same… "I need to tell you something…" he stopped believing that the man opposite him was going to interrupt him…something he didn't… "I'll tell you what I'm intending to do but whoever asks you…act like you know nothing."

"All this prologue is unnecessary. You could just say that you wanted it to stay between us."

Lars frowned. He could actually do that. He tried to say something but Tougou was the one, who spoke first… "Uh…Yeah…You would do that back then…When I was the ONLY one you trusted."

He sighed… "Who's the one turning our following conversation into a cliché soap opera now?"

"Don't try to turn it against me, alright?" he said and Lars gave him a nod… "Out with it, then."

"You said something back then, Tougou." The black haired man was staying on alert since he had a feeling that what he was going to hear wouldn't be good…

"I'm saying lots of things, which I usually forget since you never listen to me." Lars rolled his eyes… "What is it this time?"

The blond man looked away. He pursed his lips tightly and ran a hand through his hair. Tougou raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He was ready to say something but Lars was ready to talk to him this time… "It's about…Alisa." His friend gave him a nod and motioned for him to continue…

"I won't risk it this time." Lars glanced at the man opposite him. He had an unreadable expression. He was always like that… "Just because I have no idea where Jin is that doesn't mean he's dead…Even, Alisa said it. Her mission of protecting him is not deleted inside her data…Meaning that if he's alive, he would do as he pleases with her…He might even turn her against us."

"Lars…I believe your intention was to make amends with him. Especially after those things he told you." As soon as, Tougou said these words, something was created inside Lars. It was true that his purpose was to find Jin and fight Kazuya alongside him…But? He didn't know if the Japanese man was willing to get rid of his father, while aiding him and the Zaibatsu. Jin Kazama was a man, who wouldn't put his trust just to anyone and prefer to do things by himself. Even, Lars knew that the people his nephew would trust were counted in one hand. And that was one of the reasons he needed to do something. However, if he was to succeed, Alisa would never forgive him…She could even try to kill him without taking orders from "her Master". So, the way for her to not know was to be away from him. But he wasn't going to say this to Tougou…never…since, the man was going to probably stop him…

"Exactly…I am the one, who wants to make amends with him…I have no idea what he's going to do, if he ever appears."

"Then, why don't you stop looking for him?" Tougou suggested and the man looked at him confused… "Do you really want to take that risk? We both worked under him. Jin Kazama is a clever man and quite obviously powerful. You don't have to make it easy for him."

Lars chuckled at his friend's serious expression. Indeed, Tougou always meant every word he was saying. Seems like, even his best friend considered Jin more powerful than him. Of course, the man sitting in front of him didn't seem pleased with his friend's thoughts. "Are you saying that I'm weak?" he asked with a playful smirk. Tougou didn't say anything and Lars sighed. What was the point in getting angry? Even though, he had his pride, the man knew himself that he was no challenge to Jin…under certain circumstances. Unfortunately…or thankfully…Tougou wasn't aware of those "circumstances". He stretched and pursed his lips… "Whatever…I'm not indenting to give up on capturing Jin…at least, until I find out that we're in the same page."

"Don't you think that you're going to confuse these people around you? Julia…even, Hwoarang…and now Zafina."

"Tougou…I don't want to worry about that because it has nothing to do with them." The Japanese man had to admit that his friend did have a point here. But what about him? Didn't Lars care about what his friend started thinking about him? He shook his head…No, Lars is still the same. He was the one, who was getting soft and all that because of a certain woman. But Tougou had no intention in turning her away just because his thoughts started differing from those of Lars'. He still served his friend…Till the very end. The man nodded in the inside. As a soldier and a lieutenant, he would die to protect his captain if he needed to. That would never change, even if Lars would tell him to run for his life.

"I apologize…" he murmured and the blond man raised an eyebrow momentarily… "Enough with that…In the end…What do you have in mind? What are you gonna do with her?"

Lars smiled suspiciously at his friend… "I'm sending her with Hwoarang." Tougou's jaw was dropped. He blinked his eyes…

"You mean that you're going to tell him everything?"

He shook his head negatively… "No…Just like me, this guy cannot hide his feelings. He would be easily exposed." Tougou believed that his friend was right in this part. He opened slightly his mouth trying to say something but Lars spoke once again… "I know what you're gonna say next…" he paused and the other man frowned… "I have no reason not to trust Zafina. I was the one, who approached her from the start, right? Heh…In her case…" this time he glanced at him… "I'll take that risk."

Tougou shrugged his shoulders… "You're unbelievable." Was the only thing he said and Lars chuckled…

"True…I have you as a friend, that's why." His mocking playful tone made the black haired man roll his eyes…

"Don't change the subject. What are you going to do with Nina? You have to be cautious here."

Lars closed his blue eyes remembering those endless conversations he had with Tougou when it came to Nina's involvement with the Zaibatsu and their missions. The man obviously had multiple and justified reasons to be concerned about a matter like that. "You still don't trust her?" asked Lars knowing that he wouldn't take an answer…

"We're thinking the same thing in her case, you remember?" Lars gave a knowing look towards his friend, in which Tougou smiled for the first time… "I have to say it…You were able to fool everyone…even her. Here you really got me, my friend. I admired you."

"Amazing…" started Lars with widened eyes… "I have Tougou-sama's admiration. I can die happily now."

The black haired man clicked his tongue and stood up… "Anyway…For now, she hasn't shown me anything that would make me suspicious of her."

"That's because she's good in her job." Mumbled Tougou and searched his pocket looking for his cellphone…

"Perhaps…" was the only reply from the blond man… "By the way, Tougou…"

The man raised an eyebrow and waited for him to speak… "I'd like for Julia to join you to the first base."

"WHAT?! You can't be serious. What about her duties here?" the surprised man tried to reason with him… "It might be dangerous."

Lars walked back to his office and sat on the chair… "Firstly…I'm completely serious. Secondly, I'll talk it over with her and finally, Julia is a capable fighter…" the man smirked… "…and if something is to happen…You'll protect her…won't you?"

All the Japanese man did was to sigh and look away. He took a moment for himself and then faced his friend… "Understood. I'll do as you command." After hearing that, Lars nodded satisfied… "Do you need me anything else? I have some paperwork left behind that I need to take care of before I leave."

He shook his head and crossed his arms… "No…You're free to do what you want. I'll talk with Julia today and then, let you know of the details." Tougou turned to leave after giving him a small bow, which Lars always found ridiculous… "Hm…Tougou?" the man looked at him over his shoulder… "I promise you…I'll allow nothing to happen to Julia."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked while tightening his fists…

"You know why…don't try to deny it, alright?" Tougou took the decision to not continue talking with him, instead he relaxed his tightened hands and walked outside Lars' office…

…

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters…**

 **Julia's room…**

Zafina was watching as the younger woman walked to her side and poured some tea for her. The bittersweet aroma reached her nose and she smiled faintly to herself. This felt so nostalgic. Amina, her sister, used to make very delicious drinks from multiple herbs she was gathering whenever she was having walks alongside Zafina. Amina wanted to explore but her sister's overprotectiveness allowed her to do this only with her by her side. Of course, it wasn't a bad thing, since Zafina was away for long periods of time and Amina was missing her. It was obvious that she would enjoy and treasure these moments with her sister. At the same time, the older woman's feelings were returned…

She raised her head and noticed Julia making her way to sit opposite her. The brunette smiled nervously… _Now what?_ She thought…Lars' wish to be alone with Tougou was obvious to both of them. She cleared her throat and sipped carefully some of her tea. It was still hot… "Umm…I know that it's still hot, so you're not tasting it but…could you tell me if you like the scent?" she asked…

The woman gave her a positive nod and Julia clasped her hands together… "Sure…It is sweet, yet I can tell that the taste will leave some bitterness at the back of the tongue."

Julia seemed satisfied with Zafina's answer. Noticing the older woman's positive aura towards her, she decided to be the first to talk. Suddenly, the young woman realized in the inside that she didn't want to find out about what happened back then anymore. She was more concerned about what was lying ahead. Julia Chang was a woman, who liked to be prepared about everything that was supposed to happen. She would like to find a way to protect the people she cared about sooner rather than later. Seems like, she felt the same way here as well. Even though, Michelle was still in Arizona that didn't keep her entirely safe. Unlike her, Michelle was careless sometimes and didn't trust her daughter's abilities in taking care of herself. If she ever sensed that Julia was in danger, her mother would get inside the plane in an instant and find her way here…in Japan. Then, which one of the two would be safe? Mother or daughter? Since each other wanted to protect the other one with her life…

"Z-Zafina…" she mumbled the older woman's name… "What is going to happen to us?"

The black haired woman's eyes suddenly widened. Julia had a pained and frightened expression on her face. She could feel the confusion, stress and desperation. She didn't notice them when they were inside Lars' office but now. Zafina stayed still. She couldn't know how Julia was feeling and didn't try to search into her soul. She tightened her fists… "I don't know…" she said softly and Julia raised her gaze to look at her… "All the cards are open…the only thing that matters is which one of them we're going to choose." That was the only response Zafina left for Julia. So, all possibilities are open…It made sense to her. It was still early for everyone…even her. Feelings change leading to the conclusion that our choices are doing the same.

Suddenly, a knock was heard on Julia's door. She flinched and looked briefly towards Zafina, who had her eyes set on the door. The younger woman stood up and made her way to the door. She grabbed the doorknob and opened it slowly. Soon enough, she made eye contact with Alisa's cheerful green eyes. Her bright face brought a smile on Julia's lips…

"A-Alisa…Come inside." She welcomed her inside but Alisa shook negatively her head…

"No, thank you…Actually, Lars-senpai asked me to inform you that he's waiting for you inside his office."

Julia smiled and turned her head back to look at Zafina, who tilted her head confusingly. "I see…We're coming." She turned her head to her left and asked… "Shall we go?" in return Zafina gave her a positive nod…

…

 **Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters…**

 **Lars' office…**

Hwoarang seemed a little less irritated about what happened before. Maybe, it was the fact that Tougou realized his mistake and apologized to him. Well, he knew deep down that he overreacted himself. He was fed up with Lars' whims after all. He wondered if that man had actually any specific plan inside his mind or if he was just moving on impulse and intuition. Who knows? Could it be that this was the reason he approached that sexy psychic? He made this question to himself. Yes, Zafina was one of the most beautiful women he ever saw but she still was weird in the bad and creepy way…That somehow was turning him off…

From the time he entered Lars' office he asked him to move away, since he wanted to sit on his chair. Childish but he felt that way. It was skeptical that Lars didn't react sarcastically at him…Hm…

"You're awful." He said suddenly and Lars blinked his eyes…

"E-Excuse me?"

The younger man clicked his tongue and looked away… "Alisa…Don't you have your own legs? Why are you sending her just to fetch someone?"

Lars frowned. He knew that Hwoarang and Alisa managed to create a very nice friendship. He didn't know what they might had in common and if they had but he looked out for her and she was fond of him. That was one of the reasons that Lars was intending to entrust her to him. He opened his mouth to reply but the door opened widely as Julia alongside Alisa and Zafina made their way inside. Hwoarang looked at Zafina. She seemed better now. Well…being with Lars all the time will be pretty tiring and exhausting. Poor woman…She needed every kind of rest…

"Lars…We're here as you asked." Said Julia and closed the door. Lars smirked at them and watched as Alisa walked happily at Hwoarang's side. Could it be that Alisa herself might have sensed what was he going to do with her?

"Oh Julia…Did you two have a nice chat?" he asked and the two women exchanged glances…

"Don't be a busybody, you jerk! Just give us your damned orders!" the Korean man said in a loud voice with Alisa giving him a worried gaze…

"Hwoarang-senpai…Are you alright?" his eyes widened at her concerned voice. It made him smile for the first time today…

"Sorry for upsetting you, Pinky…I'm all good." After these words of his, he touched comfortingly her hand and squeezed it softly… "And about what I was saying before, Alexandersson. Tell us what you need and get over with it."

The blond man sighed… "Alright, Hwoarang…If you calm down…I will."

"What do you mean "if I calm down"? I'm just fine." He said and Lars rolled his eyes in the inside…

"Anyway…My devoted lieutenant." He started and looked at the man sitting on his office's seat… "Next week…You're going back to the Second Base."

His eyes widened. He didn't know how to react… "Seriously, man?!" he asked eagerly and the other nodded…

"You don't have to show your excitement…so obviously. Till then, you'll go to the First Base with Tougou. Alongside him you'll prepare a new practice plan and decide on how many of your soldiers are staying there and how many you're taking back. Tougou can assist you here, if you want." He stopped for a moment to think of how he was going to explain the next part… "Umm…By the way…" his mumbled words made Hwoarang raise an eyebrow… "Alisa's going to come with you."

Hwoarang frowned. It didn't bother him the idea of Alisa going with him, of course. However, he found it confusing from Lars leaving her behind. Something here was shady. Yes…Alisa was honest and as he had found out…Completely loyal to her "master". Something made sense here. All he just needed was something new to put the pieces together. For now, he returned to his previous thoughts. _Don't trust Lars Alexandersson._ Seems like what he first thought of the man might be, unfortunately, correct… "Why?"

"That's up to you to realize." The lie couldn't be clearer than that. Hwoarang was positive that Zafina, at least, noticed. He scoffed…

"How irritating? And back then you kept whining about how Jin was using Alisa…You, hypocrite! It's very satisfying that whatever I say ends up being the truth." Hwoarang managed to make these words of his sound as a way to show the fake irritation you'd expect from a person as him. Thankfully, it worked for most of them. For a slight moment, his attention took Alisa, who had a sad frown above her eyebrows. That was the last thing he wanted. To hurt her… "I mean, of course…It's better for me to have Alisa than you taking advantage of her…Alisa…" he called her and she looked at him… "Will you come with me?" he asked tenderly…

"Thank you, Hwoarang-senpai." Alisa brought her hands happily to her chest… "Now, I understand the reason you and Xiao-onesan were such good friends."

Lars and Julia's eyes widened. Both of them knew that Alisa had created a friendship with that girl but how come Hwoarang did, too? The Korean man cursed his luck. _Why, Alisa? Why did you have to say that?_ He thought nervously. He cleared his throat to dismiss the subject… "Anyway…What are you gonna do?"

The other three looked at each other. Julia thought that she would continue her work here but still…as Alisa said, Lars asked for her, too. The blond man glanced at Julia and remembered his conversation with Tougou. Of course, he knew that the young woman was needed here but part of her work could be handled at the First Base, too. However, the truth was that Lars wasn't positive of Julia's safety here. Nina would be around but everyone could tell that she would never put Julia's safety above a possible mission or while the Zaibatsu could be under a sudden attack. He took in consideration all these possibilities and the only solution was for her to be with Tougou. Lars had a feeling…actually, he was almost sure of it…that his friend would be the one to put Julia above everything else. He didn't consider it a bad thing. In a way, he was happy for him…

"Julia…" he called her and she looked alerted at him… "You'll be joining Tougou on the First Base." The young woman didn't complain at all. Instead, she accepted it with a heavy nod. He was surprised… "Are you ok with this?"

She raised an eyebrow… "Why wouldn't I be? I, actually, want to thank you. Alisa will go away and I was going to stay back here…all by myself?"

A chuckle was heard by Lars… "Then, I'm glad you think that way. I'll send you a report about your new duties, alright?"

"I got it…" she said cheerfully and smiled… "And well I guess if I need something Tougou will be able to help me."

"I am sure, he will."

That time, Julia crossed her arms and wondered… "Then…What are you two gonna do?"

Lars stared intensely at Zafina and she tightened her fists… "Oh about that…Zafina and I will do an investigation on our own."

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'd like to give a response to a guest review, I had for the previous chapter (Thank you for the review by the way). When I was writing the chapter, I thought about giving an explanation as to why Asuka lost to Xiaoyu but then decided not to. I mean is it impossible for Asuka to lose to Xiaoyu just because she has more physical strength? (I don't think so, at least) Whatever…That wasn't the reason I made her lose anyway. In this story, Asuka is going to experience events, which are going to help her realize her powers. She depends a lot on a man, who she is not confident of his feelings towards her and that makes her insecure and threatened by other females, including Lili. The feelings of love, hate and loss that exist in her heart are making her mentally unstable, in other words. That "might" be the possible reason of why she lost to Xiaoyu. Don't worry about it. She's gonna snap out of it soon enough.


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